Now that all the big fall races are over and the weather is getting colder, most people are ready to pack away their sneakers and hibernate. While some consider the winter an off-season, it’s definitely not the time to slack off from training.

“Many runners simply take the winter off, but this is a huge mistake,” says Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified running coach. “Taking a season off — or barely running at all — prevents most runners from progressing.”

Take elite Saucony-sponsored runner Tina Muir, for example. After running the Chicago Marathon in October 2014, Muir has spent time working on the little things to make her a stronger runner like building strength, improving her form, and practicing yoga. “This downtime between racing is the best time to do it,” says Muir. “You can’t throw a lot of this work in when you’re training hard since your muscles are already fatigued. And, this way, you don’t have to spend half the spring and summer getting back into shape.”

In fact, the winter is the perfect time to build a solid foundation for running. “Figure out what your weak links are and to focus on those things,” says Jay Dicharry, director of the REP Biomechanics Lab, author of Anatomy for Runners and USATF-certified coach. “It’s not good enough to just have a strong engine. You need to have a strong chassis too — mobility, stability and strength. That will give you a better body to run with.”

So, what’s a runner to do when the temps start dropping and workouts get moved indoors? For starters, focus on these seven key areas this winter. These exercises will help you figure out the right way to move so that you’ll be ready for a strong season of running once the weather warms back up.

7 Tips on How to Run Faster by Spring

1. Maintain Your Base

No matter the season, you want to maintain some level of base fitness. Ideally, you’ll want to keep logging the same amount of miles you’re used to. “If that’s not possible, reduce mileage by 10 to 20 percent. It’s a good way to stay in shape while being on a mental break from harder training,” says Fitzgerald.

Reducing intensity is fine, too, just remember: “These aren’t junk miles,” says Dicharry. There are three important things that happen in your body when you train at approximately 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, he says. First, you build capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in your body. More capillaries means more efficient blood flow to your muscles and greater surface area for oxygen to transfer from your bloodstream into your tissues. Second, you build more mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of your cells. More mitochondria means more energy you can use, Dicharry explains. Third, you teach your body to regulate its blood sugar levels better so that you use your energy stores more efficiently.

2. Build a Strong Behind

Many runners are plagued with inactive glutes and weak hips. Due to the inordinate amount of sitting we do in our daily lives, our behinds tend to be unresponsive, compromising their ability to do their job when we need them, like during a race. In fact, research shows that weak hip and bum muscles are often to blame for running injuries.

In terms of mechanics, strong glutes help you drive off the ground in order to run more efficiently. Single-leg glute bridges are a great way to strengthen this area. During the exercise, “Ask yourself, ‘What muscles do I feel working?’ Most people will feel it in their lower back, or their hamstring will cramp,” says Dicharry, which isn’t good. “You want to learn how to move and drive from your hips to lift and stabilize the pelvis.

If you’re having trouble isolating your glutes, Dicharry suggests imagining that you are squeezing a quarter between your butt cheeks as you raise your hips off the floor. “It seems like a simple exercise, but if you can’t master the basic bridge, you’re going to do everything else incorrectly,” says Dicharry. Add in clam shells, hip hikes and lateral leg raises and you’ll be on your way to building a strong bum.

3. Improve Your Posture

Your mother was right: Good posture does matter. According to Dicharry, balance, alignment and posture all directly impact our running ability and form. “Most of us stand back on our heels and lock out our knees. We just ‘hang out’ in our posture,” says Dicharry. “When you stand like this all day, you’ll start to run like this, too. And, poor posture can inhibit your hip strength by half.”

In order to stand up tall, you first need to find a neutral position in your spine. Stand and become aware of where the weight is in your feet. “Then, drop your breastbone and the front of your ribs down and you should feel the weight shift off your heels to the other parts of your feet,” says Dicharry. “Most people will feel like their muscles must work to maintain this position.”

Practice proper posture all day — when standing, sitting, walking and running — so that it becomes second nature and you can maintain this position even during a hard workout. Muir also suggests doing drills to help you concentrate on your form, which translates to more efficient and faster running. Muir’s favorites include high knees, butt kicks and side shuffles.

4. Build a Strong Core

Having a sturdy center helps improve stabilization and allows your lower body and upper body to communicate more effectively. “The runners I’ve trained who have focused on this have performed much better,” says Cheri Paige Fogleman, trainer for Daily Burn 365. “A strong core gives runners an advantage in that your form doesn’t break down when you get tired.”

Fitzgerald’s “bread and butter” core workout includes everything from planks and side planks to modified bicycles and bird-dog exercises. He recommends doing a routine like this two to three times a week.

5. Practice Toe Yoga

Your feet play an important role in running. Not only do they absorb the impact upon landing, they also help generate the force required to propel you forward when you run. Yet, according to Dicharry, many runners have weak feet and poor foot coordination. How can you make your feet more resilient? Practice toe yoga!

What exactly is toe yoga? It’s learning how to move your big toe and little piggies independently of each other. Keeping the ball of your foot on the ground, lift up just your big toe while your little toes remain on the floor and hold. Then, drive your big toe down into the ground while you lift up your little toes and hold.

“One of the most helpful things to do is to learn how to use your big toe,” Dicharry says. “Being able to drive your big toe down is a critical skill. You’re isolating the muscle in the arch of your foot. Its only job is to stabilize the arch.”

6. Try Something New

Aqua jogging, stair mill, spin class… “There are so many other modalities that can support running,” says Fogleman. If you’re not training for a race, it’s a great time to switch things up. “The more things you do that are different, the better athlete you become,” says Dicharry. If some form of cross-training isn’t already in your weekly routine, mix in your favorite low-impact activity (or try something new!). Just one hour a week can pay dividends come spring.

7. Hit the ‘Mill!

Don’t want to run outside? No problem. Try the treadmill hill workout, featured below, from CLAY Health Club + Spa. It will build glute and leg strength as well as increase fast-twitch muscle fibers. The result: You're able to run farther, better, faster and stronger.

Your Winter Treadmill Workout

Before you start, you’ll need to determine your speed and incline for the workout. Find your goal pace-per-mile for the desired incline — six percent for this workout — and corresponding treadmill mph setting. After you finish your warm-up, step off the treadmill belt and bring your speed up to your hill sprint speed and your desired incline. Step back onto the belt to begin your hill intervals.

]]>[caption id="attachment_63915" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]
Now that all the big fall races are over and the weather is getting colder, most people are ready to pack away their sneakers and hibernate. While some consider the winter an off-season, it’s definitely not the time to slack off from training.
“Many runners simply take the winter off, but this is a huge mistake,” says Jason Fitzgerald, USATF-certified running coach. “Taking a season off — or barely running at all — prevents most runners from progressing.”
Take elite Saucony-sponsored runner Tina Muir, for example. After running the Chicago Marathon in October 2014, Muir has spent time working on the little things to make her a stronger runner like building strength, improving her form, and practicing yoga. “This downtime between racing is the best time to do it,” says Muir. “You can’t throw a lot of this work in when you’re training hard since your muscles are already fatigued. And, this way, you don’t have to spend half the spring and summer getting back into shape.”
RELATED:Hate Running? 25 Ways to Learn to Love It
In fact, the winter is the perfect time to build a solid foundation for running. “Figure out what your weak links are and to focus on those things,” says Jay Dicharry, director of the REP Biomechanics Lab, author of Anatomy for Runners and USATF-certified coach. “It’s not good enough to just have a strong engine. You need to have a strong chassis too — mobility, stability and strength. That will give you a better body to run with.”
So, what’s a runner to do when the temps start dropping and workouts get moved indoors? For starters, focus on these seven key areas this winter. These exercises will help you figure out the right way to move so that you’ll be ready for a strong season of running once the weather warms back up.
RELATED:3 Running Drills from Olympic Sprinter Tori Bowie

7 Tips on How to Run Faster by Spring

1. Maintain Your Base

No matter the season, you want to maintain some level of base fitness. Ideally, you’ll want to keep logging the same amount of miles you’re used to. “If that’s not possible, reduce mileage by 10 to 20 percent. It’s a good way to stay in shape while being on a mental break from harder training,” says Fitzgerald.
Reducing intensity is fine, too, just remember: “These aren’t junk miles,” says Dicharry. There are three important things that happen in your body when you train at approximately 60 percent of your maximum heart rate, he says. First, you build capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in your body. More capillaries means more efficient blood flow to your muscles and greater surface area for oxygen to transfer from your bloodstream into your tissues. Second, you build more mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of your cells. More mitochondria means more energy you can use, Dicharry explains. Third, you teach your body to regulate its blood sugar levels better so that you use your energy stores more efficiently.
RELATED: 7 Expert Tips for Pacing Yourself on the Run

2. Build a Strong Behind

Many runners are plagued with inactive glutes and weak hips. Due to the inordinate amount of sitting we do in our daily lives, our behinds tend to be unresponsive, compromising their ability to do their job when we need them, like during a race. In fact, research shows that weak hip and bum muscles are often to blame for running injuries.
In terms of mechanics, strong glutes help you drive off the ground in order to run more efficiently. Single-leg glute bridges are a great way to strengthen this area. During the exercise, “Ask yourself, ‘What muscles do I feel working?’ Most people will feel it in their lower back, or their hamstring will cramp,” says Dicharry, which isn’t good. “You want to learn how to move and drive from your hips to lift and stabilize the pelvis.
If you’re having trouble isolating your glutes, Dicharry suggests imagining that you are squeezing a quarter between your butt cheeks as you raise your hips off the floor. “It seems like a simple exercise, but if you can’t master the basic bridge, you’re going to do everything else incorrectly,” says Dicharry. Add in clam shells, hip hikes and lateral leg raises and you’ll be on your way to building a strong bum.
RELATED:6 Butt Exercises Every Runner Should Be Doing

3. Improve Your Posture

Your mother was right: Good posture does matter. According to Dicharry, balance, alignment and posture all directly impact our running ability and form. “Most of us stand back on our heels and lock out our knees. We just ‘hang out’ in our posture,” says Dicharry. “When you stand like this all day, you’ll start to run like this, too. And, poor posture can inhibit your hip strength by half.”
In order to stand up tall, you first need to find a neutral position in your spine. Stand and become aware of where the weight is in your feet. “Then, drop your breastbone and the front of your ribs down and you should feel the weight shift off your heels to the other parts of your feet,” says Dicharry. “Most people will feel like their muscles must work to maintain this position.”
Practice proper posture all day — when standing, sitting, walking and running — so that it becomes second nature and you can maintain this position even during a hard workout. Muir also suggests doing drills to help you concentrate on your form, which translates to more efficient and faster running. Muir’s favorites include high knees, butt kicks and side shuffles.
RELATED: 6 Exercises That'll Seriously Improve Your Posture
[caption id="attachment_63916" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

4. Build a Strong Core

Having a sturdy center helps improve stabilization and allows your lower body and upper body to communicate more effectively. “The runners I’ve trained who have focused on this have performed much better,” says Cheri Paige Fogleman, trainer for Daily Burn 365. “A strong core gives runners an advantage in that your form doesn’t break down when you get tired.”
Fitzgerald’s “bread and butter” core workout includes everything from planks and side planks to modified bicycles and bird-dog exercises. He recommends doing a routine like this two to three times a week.
RELATED:6 Core Exercises to Make You a Stronger, Faster Runner

5. Practice Toe Yoga

Your feet play an important role in running. Not only do they absorb the impact upon landing, they also help generate the force required to propel you forward when you run. Yet, according to Dicharry, many runners have weak feet and poor foot coordination. How can you make your feet more resilient? Practice toe yoga!
What exactly is toe yoga? It’s learning how to move your big toe and little piggies independently of each other. Keeping the ball of your foot on the ground, lift up just your big toe while your little toes remain on the floor and hold. Then, drive your big toe down into the ground while you lift up your little toes and hold.
“One of the most helpful things to do is to learn how to use your big toe,” Dicharry says. “Being able to drive your big toe down is a critical skill. You’re isolating the muscle in the arch of your foot. Its only job is to stabilize the arch.”
RELATED: How to Score Perfect Running Form Like the Pros

6. Try Something New

Aqua jogging, stair mill, spin class… “There are so many other modalities that can support running,” says Fogleman. If you’re not training for a race, it’s a great time to switch things up. “The more things you do that are different, the better athlete you become,” says Dicharry. If some form of cross-training isn’t already in your weekly routine, mix in your favorite low-impact activity (or try something new!). Just one hour a week can pay dividends come spring.

You’ve tried them all in your pursuit of flat abs: crunches, reverse crunches, planks, bicycles and even the ab roller. After all, it seems logical. To increase muscular definition and lose fat, you should work your stomach muscles more. But will that really lead to a trim belly?

“You can do 50,000 crunches a day, but it will still only be toned muscles under your belly fat,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN and owner of Nutrition Starring You. “The truth is, unless the weight comes off, you’re not going to get a six-pack.”

So how do you get rid of the stubborn cushion around your midsection? Read on to get the real scoop on how to lose belly fat.

Stomach Fat 101

“You exercise for 30 minutes compared to the 23-and-a-half hours that you don’t exercise.”

First things first, everyonehas fat, both the layer of subcutaneous fat just under our skin that helps insulate the body and the deeper visceral fat that surrounds and protects your organs. That’s right: You’re supposed to have belly fat. But just how much fat you have and how it’s distributed has more to do with genetics than your core workout.

Men and women squirrel away fat differently, according to Harris-Pincus. On average, women have six to 11 percent more body fat than men, typically gathered around the thighs and hips and giving rise to a pear-shape (especially before they hit menopause). Men, on the other hand, tend to accumulate fat around the belly (hence, the beer gut).

Thanks to the hormone estrogen, the female body likes to hold on to fat, too. A study in Obesity Reviews shows that women store fat more efficiently than men in an effort to prepare the body for pregnancy. But while it seems like women may have drawn the short-end of the stick, the stereotypical pear-shape is actually considered healthier than boasting a beer gut, because belly fat is a red flag when it comes to your health. “Visceral fat is associated with increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome,” says Harris-Pincus.

Repeat after us: It’s time to start eating clean. She recommends a combination of veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, low-fat dairy and lean protein like poultry, eggs and fish for a dose of omega-3 fatty acids. And nix the added sugar while you’re at it. “Studies show that when you have a diet rich in whole grains — and calorie-controlled — that you can trim the belly fat,” she says. But remember to watch your portions, too. “A lot of people eat very healthy and don’t eat junk, but their portions are too large.”

If you’re smart about the foods you choose and limiting your intake, eventually you’ll start losing body fat all over. But sorry: There’s no way to get it to disappear from only your belly — you may lose fat your face, hips, butt and chest, too.

Luckily, exercise can help spur things along when it comes to that pesky stomach fat. “Visceral fat responds well when… [you] start exercising and [you’re] watching your calories and what you eat,” Harris-Pincus says. And while endless crunches aren’t your ticket to a flat stomach, it is still important to train your ab muscles. “Everything radiates from the center of your body – your balance, your posture, your functional movement,” says Joe Ardito, founder of Fit Crush NYC. “You can perform better when you have a strong core.”

Research also shows that high-intensity interval training can help reduce excess fat around your middle. Besides working your core, try incorporating a day or two of more vigorous exercise into your weekly schedule. (You can start with these three beginner routines.) Keep in mind that even if you move around more at work, you can lower your total body fat percentage, according to another study.

The Bottom Line

There isn’t one magic trick or quick fix that will melt the fat around your midsection and give you those coveted abs we all see on the newsstands. It’s about making changes over the long-term.

]]>[caption id="attachment_63815" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
You’ve tried them all in your pursuit of flat abs: crunches, reverse crunches, planks, bicycles and even the ab roller. After all, it seems logical. To increase muscular definition and lose fat, you should work your stomach muscles more. But will that really lead to a trim belly?
RELATED: 7 Surprising Ways You're Sabotaging Your Metabolism
“You can do 50,000 crunches a day, but it will still only be toned muscles under your belly fat,” says Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN and owner of Nutrition Starring You. “The truth is, unless the weight comes off, you’re not going to get a six-pack.”
So how do you get rid of the stubborn cushion around your midsection? Read on to get the real scoop on how to lose belly fat.
RELATED:5 Pilates Exercises to Strengthen Your Deep Abs

Stomach Fat 101

“You exercise for 30 minutes compared to the 23-and-a-half hours that you don’t exercise.”

First things first, everyonehas fat, both the layer of subcutaneous fat just under our skin that helps insulate the body and the deeper visceral fat that surrounds and protects your organs. That’s right: You’re supposed to have belly fat. But just how much fat you have and how it’s distributed has more to do with genetics than your core workout.
Men and women squirrel away fat differently, according to Harris-Pincus. On average, women have six to 11 percent more body fat than men, typically gathered around the thighs and hips and giving rise to a pear-shape (especially before they hit menopause). Men, on the other hand, tend to accumulate fat around the belly (hence, the beer gut).
RELATED:Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises
Thanks to the hormone estrogen, the female body likes to hold on to fat, too. A study in Obesity Reviews shows that women store fat more efficiently than men in an effort to prepare the body for pregnancy. But while it seems like women may have drawn the short-end of the stick, the stereotypical pear-shape is actually considered healthier than boasting a beer gut, because belly fat is a red flag when it comes to your health. “Visceral fat is associated with increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome,” says Harris-Pincus.
[caption id="attachment_44281" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Pond5[/caption]

How to Lose Belly Fat

Doing ab workouts might strengthen your core, but it won’t actually zap fat — and that’s why you need to eat healthy. “You exercise for 30 minutes compared to the 23-and-a-half hours that you don’t exercise. You need to eat the right things,” says Harris-Pincus.
RELATED: 6 Reasons Why You Can't Out-Exercise a Bad Diet
Repeat after us: It’s time to start eating clean. She recommends a combination of veggies, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, low-fat dairy and lean protein like poultry, eggs and fish for a dose of omega-3 fatty acids. And nix the added sugar while you’re at it. “Studies show that when you have a diet rich in whole grains — and calorie-controlled — that you can trim the belly fat,” she says. But remember to watch your portions, too. “A lot of people eat very healthy and don’t eat junk, but their portions are too large.”
If you’re smart about the foods you choose and limiting your intake, eventually you’ll start losing body fat all over. But sorry: There’s no way to get it to disappear from only your belly — you may lose fat your face, hips, butt and chest, too.
RELATED:The Pros and Cons of 6 Popular Weight Loss Diets
Luckily, exercise can help spur things along when it comes to that pesky stomach fat. “Visceral fat responds well when… [you] start exercising and [you’re] watching your calories and what you eat,” Harris-Pincus says. And while endless crunches aren’t your ticket to a flat stomach, it is still important to train your ab muscles. “Everything radiates from the center of your body – your balance, your posture, your functional movement,” says Joe Ardito, founder of Fit Crush NYC. “You can perform better when you have a strong core.”
Research also shows that high-intensity interval training can help reduce excess fat around your middle. Besides working your core, try incorporating a day or two of more vigorous exercise into your weekly schedule. (You can start with these three beginner routines.) Keep in mind that even if you move around more at work, you can lower your total body fat percentage, according to another study.

You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again: The effects of stress can harm both your mind and your body. Not only can tension affect your mood and mental health, but experts and research also link it to major health concerns like heart disease, insulin resistance and chronic inflammatory conditions.

“Stress is not something that is all in your mind. It’s a set of objective, measurable events that take place in body and brain, a complex physiological process,” says Kyle Davies, psychologist and author of The Intelligent Body. “The body’s stress response is exactly the same regardless of whether the ‘trigger’ is a physical injury (such as a car accident), an illness (like a virus) or a blockage of emotion.”

“We are now beginning to see that emotional stress contributes to a massive range of social, economic and health problems,” Davies continues. “Emotional stress plays a part in almost everything from mental health problems like anxiety and depression to a huge array of chronic physical problems.”

Considering all the health effects of stress, the question is: Do you have it on your wellbeing-boosting priority list? To convince you take care of it stat, we’ve listed five sneaky ways stress can mess with you both physically and mentally. Read on, then start your de-stress journey with expert-approved tips and meditation apps that make calming down a little more doable.

5 Surprising Effects of Stress on Your Well-Being

1. Poor Gut Health

Think it’s just greasy burgers and milkshakes that can wreak havoc on your tummy? It turns out stress can be just as bad for your belly as an unhealthy diet.

New research from Brigham Young University shows that when female rats were exposed to stress, their gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria that live in the digestive tract and influence everything from digestion to immunity to sleep quality to brain health — changed to resemble the digestive tracts of mice who ate a high-fat diet. In other words, stress can make your microbiome appear like you just downed a load of french fries even when you didn’t. Yikes. While more scientists call for more research to understand this link, they think that these changes in the gut may be part of the puzzle that links stress, mood disorders and obesity.

2. Slower Workout Recovery

“You can be doing all the right things training-wise, but if you’re not managing stress properly or getting proper rest, it affects the body’s ability to bounce back,” says Angie Fifer, certified mental performance consultant and Association for Applied Sport Psychology executive board member. Translation: Instead of reaping a workout’s rewards — like an energy and mood boost, as well as muscle gain — you could end up feeling more fatigued and sluggish and curbing results.

3. Trouble Sleeping

Speaking of fatigue, there’s nothing worse than trying to get a good night’s rest when you have a lot on your mind. According to W. Christopher Winter, MD, president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of The Sleep Solution, stress tinkers with our zzz’s by sacrificing deep sleep for more light sleep. This leads to more frequent (and longer) awakenings in the middle of the night. So in the morning, you end up feeling tired, rather than refreshed.

Stress also tends to hinder our perception of sleep duration. “Think about that one for a bit...stress makes us think we have gotten far less sleep than we actually have. In some cases, it can make an individual who has slept 6 hours feel like he or she got no sleep,” he says. This can then lead to feeling even more stressed. Talk about a bad sleep cycle.

4. Mouth Problems

Canker sores, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth — yes, stress can bring on all of these issues. According to a study in the International Dental Journal, people who reported oral health problems, such as sensitivity and bleeding, had higher work stress scores compared to those who didn’t. In another study published in the Annals of Periodontology, people who experienced higher levels of financial stress and poor stress coping skills had higher levels of periodontal (or gum) disease. The good news: Those with high money-related stress, but good coping skills had the same incidence of gum disease as people under low stress.

5. A Cranky Jaw

Do you ever clench your jaw or facial muscles when you feel tense? Not only can this lead to unwanted wrinkles, it can cause your jaw to ache, click or lock. When you tense the muscles around your face and jaw or grind your teeth, you put extra pressure on the joint, which can lead to pain. In fact, researchers have found that stress, anxiety and depression may contribute to symptoms of temporomandibular disorders aka TMD.

]]>[caption id="attachment_63740" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
You’ve heard it before, but we’ll say it again: The effects of stress can harm both your mind and your body. Not only can tension affect your mood and mental health, but experts and research also link it to major health concerns like heart disease, insulin resistance and chronic inflammatory conditions.
“Stress is not something that is all in your mind. It’s a set of objective, measurable events that take place in body and brain, a complex physiological process,” says Kyle Davies, psychologist and author of The Intelligent Body. “The body’s stress response is exactly the same regardless of whether the ‘trigger’ is a physical injury (such as a car accident), an illness (like a virus) or a blockage of emotion.”
“We are now beginning to see that emotional stress contributes to a massive range of social, economic and health problems,” Davies continues. “Emotional stress plays a part in almost everything from mental health problems like anxiety and depression to a huge array of chronic physical problems.”
Considering all the health effects of stress, the question is: Do you have it on your wellbeing-boosting priority list? To convince you take care of it stat, we’ve listed five sneaky ways stress can mess with you both physically and mentally. Read on, then start your de-stress journey with expert-approved tips and meditation apps that make calming down a little more doable.
RELATED: Stressed Out? 45 Resources to Help You Relax

5 Surprising Effects of Stress on Your Well-Being

1. Poor Gut Health

Think it’s just greasy burgers and milkshakes that can wreak havoc on your tummy? It turns out stress can be just as bad for your belly as an unhealthy diet.
New research from Brigham Young University shows that when female rats were exposed to stress, their gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria that live in the digestive tract and influence everything from digestion to immunity to sleep quality to brain health — changed to resemble the digestive tracts of mice who ate a high-fat diet. In other words, stress can make your microbiome appear like you just downed a load of french fries even when you didn’t. Yikes. While more scientists call for more research to understand this link, they think that these changes in the gut may be part of the puzzle that links stress, mood disorders and obesity.
RELATED: Here’s What to Eat to Help You De-Stress

2. Slower Workout Recovery

Sure you need to physically “stress” your muscles to get stronger, but mental stress can also have a big impact on your body’s ability to recover post-workout.
“You can be doing all the right things training-wise, but if you’re not managing stress properly or getting proper rest, it affects the body’s ability to bounce back,” says Angie Fifer, certified mental performance consultant and Association for Applied Sport Psychology executive board member. Translation: Instead of reaping a workout’s rewards — like an energy and mood boost, as well as muscle gain — you could end up feeling more fatigued and sluggish and curbing results.

3. Trouble Sleeping

Speaking of fatigue, there’s nothing worse than trying to get a good night’s rest when you have a lot on your mind. According to W. Christopher Winter, MD, president of Charlottesville Neurology and Sleep Medicine and author of The Sleep Solution, stress tinkers with our zzz’s by sacrificing deep sleep for more light sleep. This leads to more frequent (and longer) awakenings in the middle of the night. So in the morning, you end up feeling tired, rather than refreshed.
Stress also tends to hinder our perception of sleep duration. “Think about that one for a bit...stress makes us think we have gotten far less sleep than we actually have. In some cases, it can make an individual who has slept 6 hours feel like he or she got no sleep,” he says. This can then lead to feeling even more stressed. Talk about a bad sleep cycle.
RELATED: 6 Signs That You’re Exhausted (Not Just Tired)

4. Mouth Problems

Canker sores, bleeding gums, sensitive teeth — yes, stress can bring on all of these issues. According to a study in the International Dental Journal, people who reported oral health problems, such as sensitivity and bleeding, had higher work stress scores compared to those who didn’t. In another study published in the Annals of Periodontology, people who experienced higher levels of financial stress and poor stress coping skills had higher levels of periodontal (or gum) disease. The good news: Those with high money-related stress, but good coping skills had the same incidence of gum disease as people under low stress.

You feel that telltale tingle at the back of your throat…your head hurts…and you can’t breathe. It’s official: You’re coming down with a cold.

‘Tis the season for feeling sick — and you're not alone. Every year, adults suffer from an average of two to three colds per year and an estimated five to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu, typically between the months of October and March.

Before you reach for the latest over-the-counter remedy in your medicine cabinet, head to your kitchen. While frequent hand washing, regular exercise and the flu shot are tried-and-true methods to fend off sickness, you can also bolster your immune systems with items found right in your pantry. “The most authentic way to fight a cold or flu is to eat foods that will help you build the healthy cells you need to feel better,” says Anita Mirchandani, MS, RD, CDN and spokesperson for the New York State Dietetic Association.

Add these cold- and flu-fighting foods to your cart on your next grocery run.

7 Cold and Flu-Fighting Foods to Boost Your Immune System

1. Garlic

Nope, it’s not the smell of garlic that scares away the bacteria and viruses that make you feel sick. According to Alissa Rumsey, RD, CDN, CNSC, CSCS and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it’s allicin, the major active component found in garlic, that’s responsible for its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Research studies have shown that people taking garlic supplements experienced fewer and less severe colds compared to those taking a placebo. “Garlic also helps promote healthy gut flora, which rids the body of toxins, bacteria and viruses,” says Mirchandani. While you could pop a pill, Rumsey says it’s best to eat the actual thing. “The active components are more bioavailable when you eat real garlic.”

2. Beef

If you want to boost your immune system, eat some beef. “Beef is a good source of zinc, and zinc is important in the development of the white blood cells that defend your body,” says Rumsey. Research has shown that having a zinc deficiency decreases a person’s immune function and response. Plus, the extra protein you get from chowing down on beef supports the body in building antibodies and fighting off infection, according to Mirchandani.

3. Sweet Potato

While sweet potatoes may not be considered a traditional cold-fighting food, they’re a great source of Vitamin A, which plays a key role in maintaining the health of your mucosal surfaces. “That includes the inside of your nose and your gastrointestinal tract as well as your skin. You might not think of your skin as part of your immune system but it keeps infections from entering your body. It’s your first line of defense,” says Rumsey. “Keeping your mucus membranes healthy is key to keeping infections at bay.”

4. Turmeric

One of the most recent spices to be crowned a superfood, turmeric is a rich yellow powder often used in curry dishes. It’s high in antioxidants and considered a natural anti-inflammatory. “If you take it on a daily basis, it is known to relieve the body of toxins,” says Mirchandani. “It has been shown that people who consume turmeric are less susceptible to colds, coughs and congestion.”

5. Dark Leafy Greens

While people typically associate citrus fruit with vitamin C, dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, Swiss chard and arugula, are also great sources of the cold-fighting vitamin. According to Rumsey, some research shows that if you consistently take in adequate amounts of Vitamin C, it can reduce the duration of a cold. Mirchandani recommends sautéing vegetables and combining them with other healthy spices and foods, such as garlic. When the greens are cooked, they shrink in size and you can consume more of the vegetables than if you were eating them raw. Remember – the darker the greens, the higher the nutrient content.

6. Wild Salmon

As daylight hours decrease during the fall and winter, so do your vitamin D stores. This nutrient is critical for fending off colds and flu so it’s important to mindful of consuming foods rich in it, like wild salmon. Research has shown that those with healthy levels of vitamin D suffered from fewer respiratory tract infections compared to those who were deficient — and felt better faster after getting sick.

7. Chicken Soup

Your mom was right. You should eat chicken soup when you’re sick. This age-old elixir combines many elements that help speed your recovery. The warm broth not only soothes your throat but helps you stay hydrated, too. “Hot liquid, like soup, raises the temperature in your body and airways, loosening mucus secretions,” says Rumsey. “Also, when you cook chicken, it releases the amino acid cysteine, which resembles a drug that is used to treat bronchitis.” Mirchandani says, “When you’re sick, I believe in soup. With its high concentration of protein and vegetables, it’s like you’re giving your body a super-vitamin.”

While these pantry staples are a good first line of defense against colds and the flu, you also need to pay attention to your overall diet. “A healthy diet has been shown to boost immune function,” and help you get better faster, says Rumsey. “If you’re consistently eating a varied diet and a colorful palate, it will help your body fight off any infections,” say Mirchandani.

You feel that telltale tingle at the back of your throat…your head hurts…and you can’t breathe. It’s official: You’re coming down with a cold.
‘Tis the season for feeling sick — and you're not alone. Every year, adults suffer from an average of two to three colds per year and an estimated five to 20 percent of Americans come down with the flu, typically between the months of October and March.
Before you reach for the latest over-the-counter remedy in your medicine cabinet, head to your kitchen. While frequent hand washing, regular exercise and the flu shot are tried-and-true methods to fend off sickness, you can also bolster your immune systems with items found right in your pantry. “The most authentic way to fight a cold or flu is to eat foods that will help you build the healthy cells you need to feel better,” says Anita Mirchandani, MS, RD, CDN and spokesperson for the New York State Dietetic Association.
Add these cold- and flu-fighting foods to your cart on your next grocery run.
RELATED:All-Natural Remedies to Soothe Your Cold Symptoms

7 Cold and Flu-Fighting Foods to Boost Your Immune System

1. Garlic

Nope, it’s not the smell of garlic that scares away the bacteria and viruses that make you feel sick. According to Alissa Rumsey, RD, CDN, CNSC, CSCS and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it’s allicin, the major active component found in garlic, that’s responsible for its antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. Research studies have shown that people taking garlic supplements experienced fewer and less severe colds compared to those taking a placebo. “Garlic also helps promote healthy gut flora, which rids the body of toxins, bacteria and viruses,” says Mirchandani. While you could pop a pill, Rumsey says it’s best to eat the actual thing. “The active components are more bioavailable when you eat real garlic.”
Eat up: Try whipping up this Roasted Garlic Paleo Pesto (pictured above) next time you feel the sniffles coming on.
[caption id="attachment_22626" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Perry Santanachote/ Life by DailyBurn[/caption]

2. Beef

If you want to boost your immune system, eat some beef. “Beef is a good source of zinc, and zinc is important in the development of the white blood cells that defend your body,” says Rumsey. Research has shown that having a zinc deficiency decreases a person’s immune function and response. Plus, the extra protein you get from chowing down on beef supports the body in building antibodies and fighting off infection, according to Mirchandani.
Eat up: This Steak with Chimichurri Sauce Recipe packs 23 grams of protein per serving; add it to your dinner menu this week.
[caption id="attachment_20053" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Perry Santanachote / Life by DailyBurn[/caption]

3. Sweet Potato

While sweet potatoes may not be considered a traditional cold-fighting food, they’re a great source of Vitamin A, which plays a key role in maintaining the health of your mucosal surfaces. “That includes the inside of your nose and your gastrointestinal tract as well as your skin. You might not think of your skin as part of your immune system but it keeps infections from entering your body. It’s your first line of defense,” says Rumsey. “Keeping your mucus membranes healthy is key to keeping infections at bay.”
Eat up: These Spicy Sweet Potato Fries and Avocado Dip will help you load up on good old vitamin A — while simultaneously satisfying your winter comfort food cravings. RELATED:The Benefits of Vitamin B Complex
[caption id="attachment_34398" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Sylvia / Feasting At Home[/caption]

4. Turmeric

One of the most recent spices to be crowned a superfood, turmeric is a rich yellow powder often used in curry dishes. It’s high in antioxidants and considered a natural anti-inflammatory. “If you take it on a daily basis, it is known to relieve the body of toxins,” says Mirchandani. “It has been shown that people who consume turmeric are less susceptible to colds, coughs and congestion.”
Eat (or drink!) up: Order up a curry from your favorite Indian restaurant or mix up this Fresh Turmeric Tonic for a quick immunity boost. We're also loving these 10 Turmeric Recipes to Boost Your Health.
[caption id="attachment_33326" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Renee Blair / Life by DailyBurn[/caption]

5. Dark Leafy Greens

While people typically associate citrus fruit with vitamin C, dark leafy greens, like spinach, kale, Swiss chard and arugula, are also great sources of the cold-fighting vitamin. According to Rumsey, some research shows that if you consistently take in adequate amounts of Vitamin C, it can reduce the duration of a cold. Mirchandani recommends sautéing vegetables and combining them with other healthy spices and foods, such as garlic. When the greens are cooked, they shrink in size and you can consume more of the vegetables than if you were eating them raw. Remember – the darker the greens, the higher the nutrient content.
Eat up: This Fall Cleanse Kale Salad should do the trick. RELATED:Is a Magnesium Deficiency Secretly Harming Your Health?
[caption id="attachment_17132" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Perry Santanchote / Life by DailyBurn[/caption]

6. Wild Salmon

As daylight hours decrease during the fall and winter, so do your vitamin D stores. This nutrient is critical for fending off colds and flu so it’s important to mindful of consuming foods rich in it, like wild salmon. Research has shown that those with healthy levels of vitamin D suffered from fewer respiratory tract infections compared to those who were deficient — and felt better faster after getting sick.
Eat up: Whip up this Roasted Salmon with Cucumber-Dill Yogurt, or build a meal around other good sources of D such as fortified milk, canned tuna, canned sardines and egg yolks. Here are 11 more salmon recipes, ready in 30 minutes or less!
[caption id="attachment_34399" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo and Recipe: Davida / The Healthy Maven[/caption]

7. Chicken Soup

Your mom was right. You should eat chicken soup when you’re sick. This age-old elixir combines many elements that help speed your recovery. The warm broth not only soothes your throat but helps you stay hydrated, too. “Hot liquid, like soup, raises the temperature in your body and airways, loosening mucus secretions,” says Rumsey. “Also, when you cook chicken, it releases the amino acid cysteine, which resembles a drug that is used to treat bronchitis.” Mirchandani says, “When you’re sick, I believe in soup. With its high concentration of protein and vegetables, it’s like you’re giving your body a super-vitamin.”
Eat up:Slow-Cooker Chicken Soup will let you rest up in bed while your meal simmers away.
While these pantry staples are a good first line of defense against colds and the flu, you also need to pay attention to your overall diet. “A healthy diet has been shown to boost immune function,” and help you get better faster, says Rumsey. “If you’re consistently eating a varied diet and a colorful palate, it will help your body fight off any infections,” say Mirchandani.
Originally published November 2014. Updated November 2017. Read More12 Brilliant Meal Prep Ideas to Free Up Your Time5 Healthier Ways to Detox (That Aren't Juice Cleanses)Will Apple Cider Vinegar Really Help You Lose Weight?

We’ve all seen the superhuman feats of models, celebrities and athletes who seem to instantaneously bounce back from pregnancy and childbirth. But if you’ve just given birth (or are about to), you may be wondering how and when you can get back into the workout game — and is it really that easy?

“Returning to exercise postpartum varies from woman to woman,” says Joanie Johnson from Fit Pregnancy Club in New York City, a fitness studio that caters to pre- and post-natal women. It depends on how active you were before and during your pregnancy. Plus, your body experiences a fair amount of trauma during labor and delivery so it will take time to heal and recover, especially if you had a C-section. Johnson says to ask your doctor to check for diastasis recti (the separation between the right and left sides of your abdominal muscles) and pelvic floor issues, too.

Plus, there’s often a mental hurdle to clear. “Many women feel like they’re completely out of touch with their bodies following pregnancy and birth,” says Johnson, which is normal. “The struggle of starting a fitness journey from an unfamiliar place — while experiencing frustration from the loss of control over the body — can be the biggest obstacle to overcome.”

Taking the First Steps Postpartum

When you do get your doctor’s OK, start slowly, only easing back into your workouts if you feel great. (Read: Don’t start where you left off.) Walking, cardio, yoga, Pilates and swimming are all fair game. You might also seek out fitness classes specifically tailored to postpartum women.

If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. We asked Johnson for a postpartum workout plan to help you return to action safely and soundly.

Remember: Activate your core and pelvic floor to initiative all movements and move slowly and with intension. “Slight discomfort is OK when working out but sharp pain is a sign that something is wrong,” says Johnson. If you experience bleeding, dizziness, headache, fever, or sharp pain, call your doctor right away, she says. And make sure to get the go-ahead before you start this routine.

6 Exercises for the Perfect Postpartum Workout

1. Diaphragm Breaths

While you may think that you know how to breathe, the truth is most of us don’t breathe correctly. But diaphragmatic breathing can offer a restorative practice and a quick way to reset your body and mind. “Proper diaphragm breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the rest-and-digest response, massages the organs and enhances lymph flow,” says Johnson. Plus, activating your abdominal muscles while exhaling engages and strengthens your core.

How to: Inhale to a count of four, sending the breath low into the diaphragm and belly. Exhale to a count of four, focusing on wrapping the obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis in toward your midline. Every inhale is a release of the muscles while every exhale fully activates, wraps and engages them. While you should feel your belly naturally rise and fall, don’t force your belly out, especially on an exhalation. Complete 6 rounds.

2. Pelvic Floor Lifts

While you may think you only have to worry about your pelvic floor prior to giving birth, you need to heal and strengthen this muscle with a postpartum workout, too. “It’s important to train the engagement and release of these muscles,” says Johnson.

How to: To activate your pelvic floor muscles, imagine the pubic bone, tailbone and both sit bones drawing closer together and up through the center of the body like a kegel. Either hold or pulse, releasing the pelvic floor completely between rounds. Coordinate the pelvic floor lift and pulsing while simultaneously exhaling and wrapping the abdominals. Complete 6 rounds of pulses or holds.

3. Cat/Cow

While this familiar move may be a good way to warm up your body during yoga class, it also helps to massage and stretch the abdomen, strengthen the spine and neck, and improve posture, says Johnson. All things your postpartum body needs!

How to: Start with your hands and knees with a neutral pelvis and abdominals engaged. Be sure your shoulders are stationed directly over your wrists and hips directly over the knees. Inhale to cow pose — arch your back and release the abdominals and pelvic floor. Lift your head and tailbone, opening across the chest. Exhale to cat pose — press through your hands and round your spine toward the ceiling, wrapping your abdominals together to engage them and lifting the pelvic floor. Let your head and neck relax. Complete 4 rounds of cat-cow.

4. Crib Lifts

Squatting increases total-body strength and improves hip flexibility. Meanwhile, arm raises build the muscles you need to safely lift a newborn. And doing them together? “[It] creates muscle memory that will support you and protect you postpartum,” says Johnson. Be sure to keep your spine straight, chest reaching forward, and weight in your heels throughout the move, which will help activate your glutes.

How to: Stand with your legs slightly wider than hip-width distance apart and your toes in a natural slightly turned out position. Hold your baby (or an eight-pound weight) and lower into a squat while imagining that you’re lifting your baby out of the crib. Then, engage your abs and feel a lift in the pelvic floor as your return to standing. Complete 8-10 reps.

5. Clamshells

Clamshells strengthen your hips and glutes. Postpartum, this exercise can also help to support your pelvis and relieve back pain and sciatica (pain in the sciatic nerve, which runs down one or both legs from the lower back), says Johnson.

How to: Lie on your side with your knees bent, legs and hips evenly stacked and neck and spine in one line. Rest your head on your lower arm. Engage your abs and lift through the pelvic floor. Then, keeping your feet together and without shifting your hips, raise your top knee toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you exhale and hold. Return the upper leg to its starting position for one rep. Complete 20 reps on each side.

6. Neck Stretch

Whether it’s from countless hours of carrying, rocking or breastfeeding your newborn, your neck, shoulders and upper body probably feel a little sore. This stretch will help to relieve the built-up tension. Stop your shoulders from hiking up by releasing them down and away from your ears, and engage your lats down your back.

How to: Tilt your head toward one shoulder while applying gentle pressure to the top of your head with one hand. Hold for 30 seconds and focus on deep belly breathing. Repeat this stretch, holding your neck at different angles that may feel tight. Repeat on the other side.

]]>[caption id="attachment_63476" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
We’ve all seen the superhuman feats of models, celebrities and athletes who seem to instantaneously bounce back from pregnancy and childbirth. But if you’ve just given birth (or are about to), you may be wondering how and when you can get back into the workout game — and is it really that easy?
“Returning to exercise postpartum varies from woman to woman,” says Joanie Johnson from Fit Pregnancy Club in New York City, a fitness studio that caters to pre- and post-natal women. It depends on how active you were before and during your pregnancy. Plus, your body experiences a fair amount of trauma during labor and delivery so it will take time to heal and recover, especially if you had a C-section. Johnson says to ask your doctor to check for diastasis recti (the separation between the right and left sides of your abdominal muscles) and pelvic floor issues, too.
Plus, there’s often a mental hurdle to clear. “Many women feel like they’re completely out of touch with their bodies following pregnancy and birth,” says Johnson, which is normal. “The struggle of starting a fitness journey from an unfamiliar place — while experiencing frustration from the loss of control over the body — can be the biggest obstacle to overcome.”
RELATED: 17 Tips from Fit Moms on Finding Time to Exercise

Taking the First Steps Postpartum

When you do get your doctor’s OK, start slowly, only easing back into your workouts if you feel great. (Read: Don’t start where you left off.) Walking, cardio, yoga, Pilates and swimming are all fair game. You might also seek out fitness classes specifically tailored to postpartum women.
If you’re not sure where to start, we’ve got you covered. We asked Johnson for a postpartum workout plan to help you return to action safely and soundly.
Remember: Activate your core and pelvic floor to initiative all movements and move slowly and with intension. “Slight discomfort is OK when working out but sharp pain is a sign that something is wrong,” says Johnson. If you experience bleeding, dizziness, headache, fever, or sharp pain, call your doctor right away, she says. And make sure to get the go-ahead before you start this routine.
RELATED: Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises for Beginners
[caption id="attachment_63477" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

6 Exercises for the Perfect Postpartum Workout

1. Diaphragm Breaths

While you may think that you know how to breathe, the truth is most of us don’t breathe correctly. But diaphragmatic breathing can offer a restorative practice and a quick way to reset your body and mind. “Proper diaphragm breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which stimulates the rest-and-digest response, massages the organs and enhances lymph flow,” says Johnson. Plus, activating your abdominal muscles while exhaling engages and strengthens your core.
How to: Inhale to a count of four, sending the breath low into the diaphragm and belly. Exhale to a count of four, focusing on wrapping the obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis in toward your midline. Every inhale is a release of the muscles while every exhale fully activates, wraps and engages them. While you should feel your belly naturally rise and fall, don’t force your belly out, especially on an exhalation. Complete 6 rounds.
RELATED: 6 Core Exercises for New Moms with Diastasis Recti

2. Pelvic Floor Lifts

While you may think you only have to worry about your pelvic floor prior to giving birth, you need to heal and strengthen this muscle with a postpartum workout, too. “It’s important to train the engagement and release of these muscles,” says Johnson.
How to: To activate your pelvic floor muscles, imagine the pubic bone, tailbone and both sit bones drawing closer together and up through the center of the body like a kegel. Either hold or pulse, releasing the pelvic floor completely between rounds. Coordinate the pelvic floor lift and pulsing while simultaneously exhaling and wrapping the abdominals. Complete 6 rounds of pulses or holds.

3. Cat/Cow

While this familiar move may be a good way to warm up your body during yoga class, it also helps to massage and stretch the abdomen, strengthen the spine and neck, and improve posture, says Johnson. All things your postpartum body needs!
How to: Start with your hands and knees with a neutral pelvis and abdominals engaged. Be sure your shoulders are stationed directly over your wrists and hips directly over the knees. Inhale to cow pose — arch your back and release the abdominals and pelvic floor. Lift your head and tailbone, opening across the chest. Exhale to cat pose — press through your hands and round your spine toward the ceiling, wrapping your abdominals together to engage them and lifting the pelvic floor. Let your head and neck relax. Complete 4 rounds of cat-cow.
RELATED: 50 Resources to Step Up Your Yoga Game

4. Crib Lifts

Squatting increases total-body strength and improves hip flexibility. Meanwhile, arm raises build the muscles you need to safely lift a newborn. And doing them together? “[It] creates muscle memory that will support you and protect you postpartum,” says Johnson. Be sure to keep your spine straight, chest reaching forward, and weight in your heels throughout the move, which will help activate your glutes.
How to: Stand with your legs slightly wider than hip-width distance apart and your toes in a natural slightly turned out position. Hold your baby (or an eight-pound weight) and lower into a squat while imagining that you’re lifting your baby out of the crib. Then, engage your abs and feel a lift in the pelvic floor as your return to standing. Complete 8-10 reps.

5. Clamshells

Clamshells strengthen your hips and glutes. Postpartum, this exercise can also help to support your pelvis and relieve back pain and sciatica (pain in the sciatic nerve, which runs down one or both legs from the lower back), says Johnson.
How to: Lie on your side with your knees bent, legs and hips evenly stacked and neck and spine in one line. Rest your head on your lower arm. Engage your abs and lift through the pelvic floor. Then, keeping your feet together and without shifting your hips, raise your top knee toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes as you exhale and hold. Return the upper leg to its starting position for one rep. Complete 20 reps on each side.
RELATED: The 5 Hip Stretches You Need to Relieve Tightness Now

You might complain about the endless rush of daily life and meditate for a few minutes during the day, but there's one thing you typically don't want to slow down — your metabolism.

Think of it like an engine: Your metabolism is those series of chemical reactions that convert what you eat and drink into energy that your body can use. Your metabolism is influenced by your age, sex, body size and composition. That means men typically have faster metabolic rates since they tend to carry more muscle and less body fat than women. Your metabolism also decreases with age (more on that below).

While you know that sitting around all day can cause your metabolism to plummet (and exercising regularly can boost it), there are other simple things you may be doing to clog your engine. Here are seven ways that you’re slowing down your metabolism.

7 Common Mistakes That Slow Down Your Metabolism

1. Fasting for too long.

While you probably have heard that skipping meals isn’t great for your metabolism, leaving big gaps between your meals doesn’t help either, says Lauren Antonucci, RDN, owner of Nutrition Energy and certified sports dietitian. “You get a thermic boost every time you eat. Your metabolism revs up to process the food you’re eating,” she says.

But when you eat breakfast at 5 a.m., lunch at 4 p.m., and dinner at 9 p.m., you’re not doing your metabolism any favors. Instead, Antonucci suggests eating every two to three hours to keep your metabolism humming. All about intermittent fasting? While it can help decrease your calorie consumption, the drawback is that if it isn’t done with correct guidance, it can lead to unhealthy eating choices and weight gain. Our recommendation: Call in the pros.

2. Avoiding the weight room.

You’ve heard over and over that muscles burn more calories — and it’s true. Studies have found that strength training revs your resting metabolism rate. That also explains why your metabolic rate declines, as you get older. “Your muscle mass decreases over time because you’re typically not doing as much resistance training,” says Antonucci. Schedule regular strength training sessions as part of your workout schedule.

3. Eating inconsistent daily meals.

If you eat breakfast first thing in the morning some days and don’t eat until lunch on other days, then you might be wrecking your metabolism. Whether you eat three meals a day or nine seems like it should be NBD, but a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that an irregular meal schedule might negatively affect your metabolic health. Instead, aim to eat a consistent number and schedule of meals each day.

4. Not eating enough.

If you want to lose weight, you should just eat less, right? It’s not quite that simple. Antonucci says that chronically dieting or consistently eating just a little less than what your body needs, whether inadvertently or on purpose, can wreak havoc on your metabolism. She sees this often in her athletes, especially those training for endurance events like Ironman triathlons. “Their caloric needs can be ridiculously high and they don’t eat enough,” she says, which can also lead to fatigue and injuries.

“Guessing your metabolic rate is a shot in the dark,” says Antonucci. That’s why she recommends metabolic rate testing for anyone who’s having trouble losing weight or athletes who are constantly injured or fatigued. “It’s like a VO2 max test except you just sit and breathe into a mouthpiece for 15 minutes,” she says.

5. Skimping on your zzzz’s.

Sure, dark circles and a long-standing caffeine habit are downsides of skipping sleep, but they’re not the only ones. Researchers have found that sleep deprivation can significantly impact your metabolism — and not in a good way — by decreasing energy expenditure. Plus, when you’re sleepy, you don’t move around as much, says Antonucci. “Studies have shown that people who sleep less move less during the day. You may not exercise or you may choose to take a cab rather than walk because you’re tired,” she says. So be sure to get a full night sleep regularly!

6. Neglecting protein.

A calorie is a calorie, right? Not quite. Your body requires different amounts of energy to process the various macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. "The cost of processing protein is higher than the cost of processing fat,” says Antonucci. “You need protein to increase muscle mass and to fuel your metabolism.” A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a higher protein diet increased resting energy expenditure.

But Antonucci also advises that it’s not a license to eat only protein. A balance of macronutrients is key. “You need enough carbs to have enough energy to move through the day. And you need enough good fats to keep you satiated,” she says.

7. Stressing out.

You know that stress is bad for your health, but it turns out that it’s also bad for your metabolic rate. Researchers from Ohio State University found that stress affected how women metabolized food. Those who experience one or more stressful events the day before eating a high-fat meal burned 104 fewer calories in the hours following the meal compared to the non-stressed women. While that may not seem like a lot, researchers said that over the course of a year, that could mean an 11-pound weight gain. Just one more reason to chill out!

]]>[caption id="attachment_63233" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
You might complain about the endless rush of daily life and meditate for a few minutes during the day, but there's one thing you typically don't want to slow down — your metabolism.
Think of it like an engine: Your metabolism is those series of chemical reactions that convert what you eat and drink into energy that your body can use. Your metabolism is influenced by your age, sex, body size and composition. That means men typically have faster metabolic rates since they tend to carry more muscle and less body fat than women. Your metabolism also decreases with age (more on that below).
While you know that sitting around all day can cause your metabolism to plummet (and exercising regularly can boost it), there are other simple things you may be doing to clog your engine. Here are seven ways that you’re slowing down your metabolism.
RELATED: How to Boost Metabolism in Your 20s, 30s and 40s

7 Common Mistakes That Slow Down Your Metabolism

1. Fasting for too long.

While you probably have heard that skipping meals isn’t great for your metabolism, leaving big gaps between your meals doesn’t help either, says Lauren Antonucci, RDN, owner of Nutrition Energy and certified sports dietitian. “You get a thermic boost every time you eat. Your metabolism revs up to process the food you’re eating,” she says.
But when you eat breakfast at 5 a.m., lunch at 4 p.m., and dinner at 9 p.m., you’re not doing your metabolism any favors. Instead, Antonucci suggests eating every two to three hours to keep your metabolism humming. All about intermittent fasting? While it can help decrease your calorie consumption, the drawback is that if it isn’t done with correct guidance, it can lead to unhealthy eating choices and weight gain. Our recommendation: Call in the pros.

2. Avoiding the weight room.

You’ve heard over and over that muscles burn more calories — and it’s true. Studies have found that strength training revs your resting metabolism rate. That also explains why your metabolic rate declines, as you get older. “Your muscle mass decreases over time because you’re typically not doing as much resistance training,” says Antonucci. Schedule regular strength training sessions as part of your workout schedule.

3. Eating inconsistent daily meals.

If you eat breakfast first thing in the morning some days and don’t eat until lunch on other days, then you might be wrecking your metabolism. Whether you eat three meals a day or nine seems like it should be NBD, but a study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that an irregular meal schedule might negatively affect your metabolic health. Instead, aim to eat a consistent number and schedule of meals each day.
RELATED: 7 Ways to Naturally Boost Your Metabolism

4. Not eating enough.

If you want to lose weight, you should just eat less, right? It’s not quite that simple. Antonucci says that chronically dieting or consistently eating just a little less than what your body needs, whether inadvertently or on purpose, can wreak havoc on your metabolism. She sees this often in her athletes, especially those training for endurance events like Ironman triathlons. “Their caloric needs can be ridiculously high and they don’t eat enough,” she says, which can also lead to fatigue and injuries.
“Guessing your metabolic rate is a shot in the dark,” says Antonucci. That’s why she recommends metabolic rate testing for anyone who’s having trouble losing weight or athletes who are constantly injured or fatigued. “It’s like a VO2 max test except you just sit and breathe into a mouthpiece for 15 minutes,” she says.
[caption id="attachment_63236" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

5. Skimping on your zzzz’s.

Sure, dark circles and a long-standing caffeine habit are downsides of skipping sleep, but they’re not the only ones. Researchers have found that sleep deprivation can significantly impact your metabolism — and not in a good way — by decreasing energy expenditure. Plus, when you’re sleepy, you don’t move around as much, says Antonucci. “Studies have shown that people who sleep less move less during the day. You may not exercise or you may choose to take a cab rather than walk because you’re tired,” she says. So be sure to get a full night sleep regularly!
RELATED: Is Your Sleep Schedule Wrecking Your Metabolism?

6. Neglecting protein.

A calorie is a calorie, right? Not quite. Your body requires different amounts of energy to process the various macronutrients: carbohydrates, proteins and fats. "The cost of processing protein is higher than the cost of processing fat,” says Antonucci. “You need protein to increase muscle mass and to fuel your metabolism.” A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that a higher protein diet increased resting energy expenditure.
But Antonucci also advises that it’s not a license to eat only protein. A balance of macronutrients is key. “You need enough carbs to have enough energy to move through the day. And you need enough good fats to keep you satiated,” she says.

]]>Can HIIT Give You the Same High as Running?http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/hiit-endorphins-runners-high/
http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/hiit-endorphins-runners-high/#respondMon, 18 Sep 2017 11:15:40 +0000http://dailyburn.com/life/?p=61832

There are many reasons you exercise, but none is more enticing than the buzzy bliss that comes from a satisfying sweat session. After all, mood-boosting endorphins — aka your body’s built-in pain killers — are one of the main sells of long runs. But is the so-called runner’s high exclusive just to running?

While most forms of exercise will release endorphins, the path to happy will differ. According to recent research published in Neuropsychopharmacology, the flow of these feel-good molecules depends on exercise intensity and plays a unique role in how we perceive our workouts.

A HIIT of Endorphins

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland studied the effects of different types of exercise on endorphin release and mood. As your body’s natural opioid, endorphins are neurotransmitters that activate your brain’s reward system and minimize pain.

Participants of the study underwent three position emission tomography (PET) scans to illustrate brain functioning before and after exercise. They did one at rest, one after an hour of moderate-intensity exercise and another one after a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. What they found was that HIIT significantly increased the flow of endorphins in the brain, particularly to the areas that control pain and emotions. But interestingly, moderate-intensity aerobic session didn’t.

Tina Saanijoki, one of the researchers of the study, says, this is one of the first studies of its kind. “No studies have compared opioid release after moderate and high-intensity exercise at the brain level." She says, “The finding that HIIT led to opioid release didn’t surprise us, but we were somewhat surprised that in the group level, we didn’t observe opioid release after one-hour of aerobic exercise.”

Runner's High: Is It All in Your Head?

Surprisingly, researchers discovered that the moderate-intensity aerobic work left participants feeling euphoric, even though there wasn’t a flood of the neurochemicals in the brain. Which begs the question: Is runner’s high all in our heads? Saanijoki says, “Runner’s high is a subjective experience, and we don’t have a scientific determination, criteria or a measure for it.” So if you don’t get that glowing feeling post-10K, you’re not alone. “The description of runner’s high varies considerably between people who have experienced it, and even then, they don’t get there every time,” she explains.

Meanwhile, while the HIIT participants showed a measurable endorphin rush, they experienced a rush of negative feelings, too. Participants reported exhaustion, irritation and lack of energy. Instead of the typical post-workout glow, the intense bout of exercise caused the exact opposite effect.

Understanding the Endorphin Rush

The findings suggest that endorphins can have a dual effect on your body and mind, depending on the intensity of your workout. “[Endorphins] appear to be involved in positive emotions at moderate intensities and in modulating negative emotions and perhaps pain at very high intensities,” Saanijoki says. “The opioid release after HIIT likely is the body’s protection response to this physically and emotionally stressful situation.” Which makes sense. Who hasn’t felt like keeling over after a killer AMRAP workout?

Since feeling like death post-workout isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, hit up a HIIT session with caution, especially if you’re just starting to exercise or struggling to keep up your gym habit. In that case, a moderate-intensity aerobic session may be a better fit. You may be more motivated to come back for the feel-good vibes that accompany those workouts.

]]>[caption id="attachment_61838" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
There are many reasons you exercise, but none is more enticing than the buzzy bliss that comes from a satisfying sweat session. After all, mood-boosting endorphins — aka your body’s built-in pain killers — are one of the main sells of long runs. But is the so-called runner’s high exclusive just to running?
While most forms of exercise will release endorphins, the path to happy will differ. According to recent research published in Neuropsychopharmacology, the flow of these feel-good molecules depends on exercise intensity and plays a unique role in how we perceive our workouts.
RELATED: Endorphins and the Truth About Why Exercise Makes You Happy

A HIIT of Endorphins

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland studied the effects of different types of exercise on endorphin release and mood. As your body’s natural opioid, endorphins are neurotransmitters that activate your brain’s reward system and minimize pain.
Participants of the study underwent three position emission tomography (PET) scans to illustrate brain functioning before and after exercise. They did one at rest, one after an hour of moderate-intensity exercise and another one after a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session. What they found was that HIIT significantly increased the flow of endorphins in the brain, particularly to the areas that control pain and emotions. But interestingly, moderate-intensity aerobic session didn’t.
Tina Saanijoki, one of the researchers of the study, says, this is one of the first studies of its kind. “No studies have compared opioid release after moderate and high-intensity exercise at the brain level." She says, “The finding that HIIT led to opioid release didn’t surprise us, but we were somewhat surprised that in the group level, we didn’t observe opioid release after one-hour of aerobic exercise.”
RELATED: HIIT It Hard with These 25 Workouts and Tips

Runner's High: Is It All in Your Head?

Surprisingly, researchers discovered that the moderate-intensity aerobic work left participants feeling euphoric, even though there wasn’t a flood of the neurochemicals in the brain. Which begs the question: Is runner’s high all in our heads? Saanijoki says, “Runner’s high is a subjective experience, and we don’t have a scientific determination, criteria or a measure for it.” So if you don’t get that glowing feeling post-10K, you’re not alone. “The description of runner’s high varies considerably between people who have experienced it, and even then, they don’t get there every time,” she explains.
Meanwhile, while the HIIT participants showed a measurable endorphin rush, they experienced a rush of negative feelings, too. Participants reported exhaustion, irritation and lack of energy. Instead of the typical post-workout glow, the intense bout of exercise caused the exact opposite effect.
RELATED: 7 HIIT Mistakes You’re Probably Making

You’ve decided to finally start doing yoga — but after Googling classes in your area, your head is spinning. Should you try Ashtanga or Iyengar? And what’s the difference between hot yoga and Vinyasa? The array of options can be enough to scare newbies off the mat for good.

But here’s why you shouldn’t be scared: Like cross training, incorporating a variety of types of yoga into your regular practice can help keep you balanced, says Nikki Vilella, senior teacher at Kula Yoga Project and co-owner of Kula Williamsburg. “Try a few different studios, teachers and styles. Then, stick with the one that resonates with you for a good amount of time and be dedicated to the practice,” says Vilella. “The first day you don’t like a class shouldn’t be a reason to bolt and try something new.”

Yoga isn’t necessarily a ‘one-size-fits-all’ practice, either. Different types of yoga might be best for different people. “A 20-year-old and a 70-year-old probably don’t need the same things,” Vilella says. “Someone who is hyper-mobile and flexible doesn’t need the same thing as someone who’s muscular and stiff.”

So with all the choices out there, where do you start? Don’t lose your ujjayi breath (that’s yogi speak for calming inhales and exhales). We’ve got your definitive list of classes that specialize in yoga for beginners — plus tips for identifying the style you might like best.

Yoga for Beginners: The 9 Types You Need to Know

1. Hatha Yoga

It’s all about the basics in these slower moving classes that require you to hold each pose for a few breaths. In many studios, hatha classes are considered a gentler form of yoga. However, the Sanskrit term “hatha” actually refers to any yoga that teaches physical postures. “It’s a practice of the body, a physical practice that balances these two energies. So, in reality, it is all hatha yoga,” Vilella says.

Best for: Beginners. Because of its slower pace, hatha is a great class if you’re just starting your yoga practice.

2. Vinyasa Yoga

Get your flow on in this dynamic practice that links movement and breath together in a dance-like way. In most classes, you won’t linger long in each pose and the pace can be quick, so be prepared for your heart rate to rise. Teachers will often pump music, matching the beats to the sequences of the poses.

Best for:HIIT lovers. Intense exercisers might enjoy Vinyasa because of its faster pace. Runners and endurance athletes are also drawn to Vinyasa class because of the continuous movement.

3. Iyengar Yoga

Here you’ll get nit-picky about precision and detail, as well as your body’s alignment in each pose. Props, from yoga blocks and blankets to straps or a ropes wall, will become your new best friend, helping you to work within a range of motion that is safe and effective. Unlike in Vinyasa, each posture is held for a period of time. If you’re new to Iyengar, even if you’ve practiced other types of yoga, it’s good to start with a level one class to familiarize yourself with the technique.

Best for: Detail-oriented yogis. If you like to geek out about anatomy, movement and form, you’ll love Iyengar — teachers share a wealth of information during class. Iyengar can also be practiced at any age and is great for those with injuries (though you should consult with a doctor first), Vilella notes.

4. Ashtanga Yoga

If you’re looking for a challenging yet orderly approach to yoga, try Ashtanga. Consisting of six series of specifically sequenced yoga poses, you’ll flow and breathe through each pose to build internal heat. The catch is that you’ll perform the same poses in the exact same order in each class. Some studios will have a teacher calling out the poses, while Mysore style classes (a subset of Ashtanga) require you to perform the series on your own. (But don’t worry — there will always be a teacher in the room to offer assistance if you need it.)

Best for: Type-A folks. If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll like Ashtanga’s routine and strict guidelines.

5. Bikram Yoga

"All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so you’ll know exactly what to do."

Prepare to sweat: Bikram consists of a specific series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to approximately 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so you’ll know exactly what to do once you unroll your mat. Remember, the vigorous practice combined with the heat can make the class feel strenuous. If you’re new to Bikram, take it easy: Rest when you need to and be sure to hydrate beforehand.

Best for: People who gravitate toward a set routine. Those who are newer to yoga might like Bikram because of its predictable sequence.

6. Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is similar to Bikram in that it’s practiced in a heated room. But teachers aren’t constrained by the 26-pose Bikram sequence. While the heat will make you feel like you can move deeper into some poses compared to a non-heated class, it can be easy to overstretch, so don’t push beyond your capacity.

Best for: Hardcore sweat lovers. If you love a tough workout that will leave you drenched, sign up for a beginner-friendly heated class.

7. Kundalini Yoga

Celebrity devotees including actor Russell Brand and author Gabrielle Bernstein have given Kundalini a cult-like following. Yet, this physically and mentally challenging practice looks very different from your typical yoga class. You’ll perform kriyas — repetitive physical exercises coupled with intense breath work — while also chanting, singing and meditating. The goal? To break through your internal barriers, releasing the untapped energy residing within you and bringing you a higher level of self-awareness.

Best for: People looking for a spiritual practice. Those who are seeking something more than a workout may enjoy Kundalini due to its emphasis on the internal aspects of yoga, including breath work, meditation and spiritual energy.

8. Yin Yoga

If you want to calm and balance your body and mind, this is where you’ll find your zen. The opposite of a faster moving practice like Ashtanga, Yin yoga poses are held for several minutes at a time. This meditative practice is designed to target your deeper connective tissues and fascia, restoring length and elasticity. You’ll use props so your body can release into the posture instead of actively flexing or engaging the muscles. Like meditation, it may make you feel antsy at first, but stick with it for a few classes and its restorative powers might have you hooked.

Best for: People who need to stretch and unwind. Keep in mind, Yin yoga is not recommended for people who are super flexible (you might overdo it in some poses) or anyone who has a connective tissue disorder, Vilella says.

9. Restorative Yoga

While it may feel like you’re not doing much in a restorative yoga class…that’s the point. The mellow, slow-moving practice with longer holds gives your body a chance tap into your parasympathetic nervous system, allowing you to experience deeper relaxation. You’ll also use a variety of props including blankets, bolsters and yoga blocks to fully support your body in each pose.

Best for: Everyone. In particular, Vilella says it’s a good yoga practice for anyone who has a hard time slowing down, who has experienced insomnia or who struggles with anxiety. It’s also great for athletes on recovery days.

]]>[caption id="attachment_42250" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]
You’ve decided to finally start doing yoga — but after Googling classes in your area, your head is spinning. Should you try Ashtanga or Iyengar? And what’s the difference between hot yoga and Vinyasa? The array of options can be enough to scare newbies off the mat for good.
But here’s why you shouldn’t be scared: Like cross training, incorporating a variety of types of yoga into your regular practice can help keep you balanced, says Nikki Vilella, senior teacher at Kula Yoga Project and co-owner of Kula Williamsburg. “Try a few different studios, teachers and styles. Then, stick with the one that resonates with you for a good amount of time and be dedicated to the practice,” says Vilella. “The first day you don’t like a class shouldn’t be a reason to bolt and try something new.”
RELATED:The 11 Best Yoga Apps to Get Fit on the Cheap
Yoga isn’t necessarily a ‘one-size-fits-all’ practice, either. Different types of yoga might be best for different people. “A 20-year-old and a 70-year-old probably don’t need the same things,” Vilella says. “Someone who is hyper-mobile and flexible doesn’t need the same thing as someone who’s muscular and stiff.”
So with all the choices out there, where do you start? Don’t lose your ujjayi breath (that’s yogi speak for calming inhales and exhales). We’ve got your definitive list of classes that specialize in yoga for beginners — plus tips for identifying the style you might like best.

Yoga for Beginners: The 9 Types You Need to Know

1. Hatha Yoga

It’s all about the basics in these slower moving classes that require you to hold each pose for a few breaths. In many studios, hatha classes are considered a gentler form of yoga. However, the Sanskrit term “hatha” actually refers to any yoga that teaches physical postures. “It’s a practice of the body, a physical practice that balances these two energies. So, in reality, it is all hatha yoga,” Vilella says.
Best for: Beginners. Because of its slower pace, hatha is a great class if you’re just starting your yoga practice.
RELATED:Hatha Yoga: The Best Workout for Your Brain?
[caption id="attachment_54656" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Asi Zeevi / The Woom Center Immersive Yoga [/caption]

2. Vinyasa Yoga

Get your flow on in this dynamic practice that links movement and breath together in a dance-like way. In most classes, you won’t linger long in each pose and the pace can be quick, so be prepared for your heart rate to rise. Teachers will often pump music, matching the beats to the sequences of the poses.
Best for:HIIT lovers. Intense exercisers might enjoy Vinyasa because of its faster pace. Runners and endurance athletes are also drawn to Vinyasa class because of the continuous movement.
[caption id="attachment_57926" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

3. Iyengar Yoga

Here you’ll get nit-picky about precision and detail, as well as your body’s alignment in each pose. Props, from yoga blocks and blankets to straps or a ropes wall, will become your new best friend, helping you to work within a range of motion that is safe and effective. Unlike in Vinyasa, each posture is held for a period of time. If you’re new to Iyengar, even if you’ve practiced other types of yoga, it’s good to start with a level one class to familiarize yourself with the technique.
Best for: Detail-oriented yogis. If you like to geek out about anatomy, movement and form, you’ll love Iyengar — teachers share a wealth of information during class. Iyengar can also be practiced at any age and is great for those with injuries (though you should consult with a doctor first), Vilella notes.
RELATED:5 Surprising Health Benefits of Yoga
[caption id="attachment_42253" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

4. Ashtanga Yoga

If you’re looking for a challenging yet orderly approach to yoga, try Ashtanga. Consisting of six series of specifically sequenced yoga poses, you’ll flow and breathe through each pose to build internal heat. The catch is that you’ll perform the same poses in the exact same order in each class. Some studios will have a teacher calling out the poses, while Mysore style classes (a subset of Ashtanga) require you to perform the series on your own. (But don’t worry — there will always be a teacher in the room to offer assistance if you need it.)
Best for: Type-A folks. If you’re a perfectionist, you’ll like Ashtanga’s routine and strict guidelines.
START YOUR FREE TRIAL:Try Daily Burn's Yoga Made Simple
[caption id="attachment_37363" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

5. Bikram Yoga

"All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so you’ll know exactly what to do."

Prepare to sweat: Bikram consists of a specific series of 26 poses and two breathing exercises practiced in a room heated to approximately 105 degrees and 40 percent humidity. All Bikram studios practice the same 90-minute sequence so you’ll know exactly what to do once you unroll your mat. Remember, the vigorous practice combined with the heat can make the class feel strenuous. If you’re new to Bikram, take it easy: Rest when you need to and be sure to hydrate beforehand.
Best for: People who gravitate toward a set routine. Those who are newer to yoga might like Bikram because of its predictable sequence.
RELATED:How to Get the Benefits of Hot Yoga — Without Passing Out
[caption id="attachment_52505" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

6. Hot Yoga

Hot yoga is similar to Bikram in that it’s practiced in a heated room. But teachers aren’t constrained by the 26-pose Bikram sequence. While the heat will make you feel like you can move deeper into some poses compared to a non-heated class, it can be easy to overstretch, so don’t push beyond your capacity.
Best for: Hardcore sweat lovers. If you love a tough workout that will leave you drenched, sign up for a beginner-friendly heated class.
[caption id="attachment_42256" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

7. Kundalini Yoga

Celebrity devotees including actor Russell Brand and author Gabrielle Bernstein have given Kundalini a cult-like following. Yet, this physically and mentally challenging practice looks very different from your typical yoga class. You’ll perform kriyas — repetitive physical exercises coupled with intense breath work — while also chanting, singing and meditating. The goal? To break through your internal barriers, releasing the untapped energy residing within you and bringing you a higher level of self-awareness.
Best for: People looking for a spiritual practice. Those who are seeking something more than a workout may enjoy Kundalini due to its emphasis on the internal aspects of yoga, including breath work, meditation and spiritual energy.
RELATED:7 Ways to Carve Out Time to Meditate
[caption id="attachment_61598" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

8. Yin Yoga

If you want to calm and balance your body and mind, this is where you’ll find your zen. The opposite of a faster moving practice like Ashtanga, Yin yoga poses are held for several minutes at a time. This meditative practice is designed to target your deeper connective tissues and fascia, restoring length and elasticity. You’ll use props so your body can release into the posture instead of actively flexing or engaging the muscles. Like meditation, it may make you feel antsy at first, but stick with it for a few classes and its restorative powers might have you hooked.
Best for: People who need to stretch and unwind. Keep in mind, Yin yoga is not recommended for people who are super flexible (you might overdo it in some poses) or anyone who has a connective tissue disorder, Vilella says.
RELATED:5 Yin Yoga Poses Every Runner Should Do
[caption id="attachment_61818" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of Alexis Novak[/caption]

You know that a heart-pumping workout is good for your body and mind. But if your sweat sesh leaves you with an upset stomach or running from the streets to the bathroom, it might not be so coincidental. According to new research published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, intense exercise may actually make you more prone to gut damage.

Exercise and Gut Health: The New Science

Researchers from Monash University in Australia set out to review research on exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, published over the last 20 years. They wanted to determine if — and how — exercise impacts digestive health and function.

What they found: As exercise duration and intensity increased, so did the risk of damage to the GI tract. So not only does the stress of exercise slow digestion and make you feel bloated or nauseous, it can also make your gut more leaky. Though experts are still investigating leaky gut syndrome, it’s said to allow bad bacteria to escape out of the gut and into the bloodstream, which can cause a variety of health problems.

While low-to-moderate physical activity may help with a healthy microbiome (especially for those with irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease), there’s a line between the beneficial and the not-so-beneficial. In fact, researchers found a tipping point where things start to go amiss.

When Exercise Starts to Harm Gut Health

“Two hours at 60 percent VO2 max, or the equivalent, is the point whereby all aspects of gut disturbance is consistently significant,” says Ricardo Costa, PhD, lead author of the review. And it doesn’t matter if you’re an elite athlete or training for your first marathon. “Fitness status is irrelevant. Fitter athletes can push themselves harder and create more damage,” he says. Running or exercising in temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t help either. Both could make the symptoms worse.

So what’s an endurance junkie to do? The study’s recommendations include properly hydrating before and during exercise, as well as avoiding certain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can irritate your belly. Since the effects of exercise on digestive health can vary by person, Costa also advises an individual assessment. “A gut challenge assessment during exercise is advised to determine the extent of individual gut perturbations,” says Costa. “This will also advise feeding strategies during exercise,” which may help protect against symptoms.

While the study serves up some compelling links between exercise and digestive health, further research is needed to determine the best strategies for preventing and managing exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. So don’t stop signing up for those fall races. Your body will still benefit.

]]>[caption id="attachment_60835" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
You know that a heart-pumping workout is good for your body and mind. But if your sweat sesh leaves you with an upset stomach or running from the streets to the bathroom, it might not be so coincidental. According to new research published in Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, intense exercise may actually make you more prone to gut damage.
RELATED: Is It All In Your Gut? The Sleep-Gut Connection

Exercise and Gut Health: The New Science

Researchers from Monash University in Australia set out to review research on exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome, published over the last 20 years. They wanted to determine if — and how — exercise impacts digestive health and function.
What they found: As exercise duration and intensity increased, so did the risk of damage to the GI tract. So not only does the stress of exercise slow digestion and make you feel bloated or nauseous, it can also make your gut more leaky. Though experts are still investigating leaky gut syndrome, it’s said to allow bad bacteria to escape out of the gut and into the bloodstream, which can cause a variety of health problems.
While low-to-moderate physical activity may help with a healthy microbiome (especially for those with irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel disease), there’s a line between the beneficial and the not-so-beneficial. In fact, researchers found a tipping point where things start to go amiss.
RELATED: 7 Ways Exercise Helps Relieve Back Pain

When Exercise Starts to Harm Gut Health

“Two hours at 60 percent VO2 max, or the equivalent, is the point whereby all aspects of gut disturbance is consistently significant,” says Ricardo Costa, PhD, lead author of the review. And it doesn’t matter if you’re an elite athlete or training for your first marathon. “Fitness status is irrelevant. Fitter athletes can push themselves harder and create more damage,” he says. Running or exercising in temperatures higher than 86 degrees Fahrenheit doesn’t help either. Both could make the symptoms worse.
So what’s an endurance junkie to do? The study’s recommendations include properly hydrating before and during exercise, as well as avoiding certain medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can irritate your belly. Since the effects of exercise on digestive health can vary by person, Costa also advises an individual assessment. “A gut challenge assessment during exercise is advised to determine the extent of individual gut perturbations,” says Costa. “This will also advise feeding strategies during exercise,” which may help protect against symptoms.
While the study serves up some compelling links between exercise and digestive health, further research is needed to determine the best strategies for preventing and managing exercise-induced gastrointestinal syndrome. So don’t stop signing up for those fall races. Your body will still benefit.
Read More:
A Runner’s Guide to Hydration (And How to Not Overdo It)
How Healthy Is Your Gut? Here’s How to Tell
6 Running Stretches That Are Too Easy to Skip

Tired, stressed, run-down. Rinse and repeat. For most of us, this is the soundtrack of our busy, busy lives. But luckily, there are a number of quick pick-me-ups available at our fingertips. From drop-in meditation classes to IV treatments to power naps, you can recharge your batteries in less than half an hour. The latest remedy? Just breathe.

That’s right. Oxygen bars are back. The trend that started back in the mid-nineties has made a comeback, thanks in part to portable canisters and celebrity champions like Gwyneth Paltrow. Wellness junkies had a chance to chill out with some oxygen therapy at The Goop Wellness Summit this past June. Fans say that a few puffs of “pure” oxygen will lead to boosted energy, better sleep, improved concentration and less stress.

Wait, don’t you already breathe in oxygen all day every day? Here’s what you need to know about getting an extra boost with recreational oxygen therapy.

The Oxygen Bubble Effect

The idea is simple: Saddle up to an oxygen bar or buy a canister of portable oxygen and inhale highly concentrated O2 — 90+ percent oxygen. Instead of inhaling the 21 percent of oxygen in the everyday air you breathe in, proponents claim that this heftier dose delivers more oxygen to your muscles, brain and cells. More oxygen means a better range of health benefits that make you feel good.

But the truth is your body is already at full oxygen-carrying capacity. Oxygen enters through the lungs and into the bloodstream, where it hitches a ride on the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. “If you have normal lungs at sea level, your hemoglobin is essentially saturated with oxygen. Taking in more is not going to increase the amount of oxygen carried by the blood by any significant amount,” says Dr. Norman Edelman, Senior Scientific Advisor with the American Lung Association and Professor of Preventative Medicine, Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. “It’s unlikely there is a physiological effect. You’re not delivering more oxygen to the brain or muscles.”

There’s one case where supplemental oxygen may be helpful, says Edelman. And that’s after vigorous exercise. “After a football player makes a long, hard run, he goes to the sidelines, picks up a mask and breathes in some oxygen,” he says. Edelman explains that during a hard workout, physiological changes occur that stimulates your body to breathe more. “After vigorous exercise, [extra] oxygen may make you feel better,” he says.

While there is some scientific research on the effect of supplemental oxygen on athletic performance, the jury’s still out.

Oxygen Therapy: Is It Just Hot Air?

It may seem like there’s no harm in breathing concentrated air, but Edelman notes that oxygen is an irritant. While most oxygen therapy sessions last 15 to 20 minutes, longer sessions could irritate and inflame the mucus membranes lining your respiratory system.

Plus, recreational oxygen often comes in scented or flavored varieties. Since oxygen bars and portable oxygen isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it’s hard to say what’s exactly pumped out through those nose tubes and canisters. Edelman cautions that those with allergies or asthma may react to artificial or strong scents. And those with lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis should probably steer clear, too.

For those who do claim to feel better after a dose of oxygen? You might be just experiencing a placebo effect. “It may give a sense of euphoria and if it does, I don’t know how it does that,” says Edelman.

A better, cheaper alternative? Step away from your computer, take a walk outside and breathe in the fresh air.

]]>[caption id="attachment_60741" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
Tired, stressed, run-down. Rinse and repeat. For most of us, this is the soundtrack of our busy, busy lives. But luckily, there are a number of quick pick-me-ups available at our fingertips. From drop-in meditation classes to IV treatments to power naps, you can recharge your batteries in less than half an hour. The latest remedy? Just breathe.
That’s right. Oxygen bars are back. The trend that started back in the mid-nineties has made a comeback, thanks in part to portable canisters and celebrity champions like Gwyneth Paltrow. Wellness junkies had a chance to chill out with some oxygen therapy at The Goop Wellness Summit this past June. Fans say that a few puffs of “pure” oxygen will lead to boosted energy, better sleep, improved concentration and less stress.
Wait, don’t you already breathe in oxygen all day every day? Here’s what you need to know about getting an extra boost with recreational oxygen therapy.
RELATED: For Better Workouts, Just Add Oxygen?

The Oxygen Bubble Effect

The idea is simple: Saddle up to an oxygen bar or buy a canister of portable oxygen and inhale highly concentrated O2 — 90+ percent oxygen. Instead of inhaling the 21 percent of oxygen in the everyday air you breathe in, proponents claim that this heftier dose delivers more oxygen to your muscles, brain and cells. More oxygen means a better range of health benefits that make you feel good.
But the truth is your body is already at full oxygen-carrying capacity. Oxygen enters through the lungs and into the bloodstream, where it hitches a ride on the hemoglobin in your red blood cells. “If you have normal lungs at sea level, your hemoglobin is essentially saturated with oxygen. Taking in more is not going to increase the amount of oxygen carried by the blood by any significant amount,” says Dr. Norman Edelman, Senior Scientific Advisor with the American Lung Association and Professor of Preventative Medicine, Internal Medicine and Physiology and Biophysics at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. “It’s unlikely there is a physiological effect. You’re not delivering more oxygen to the brain or muscles.”
There’s one case where supplemental oxygen may be helpful, says Edelman. And that’s after vigorous exercise. “After a football player makes a long, hard run, he goes to the sidelines, picks up a mask and breathes in some oxygen,” he says. Edelman explains that during a hard workout, physiological changes occur that stimulates your body to breathe more. “After vigorous exercise, [extra] oxygen may make you feel better,” he says.
While there is some scientific research on the effect of supplemental oxygen on athletic performance, the jury’s still out.
RELATED: The Beginner’s Guide to Running at High Altitude
[caption id="attachment_60743" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Pond5[/caption]

Oxygen Therapy: Is It Just Hot Air?

It may seem like there’s no harm in breathing concentrated air, but Edelman notes that oxygen is an irritant. While most oxygen therapy sessions last 15 to 20 minutes, longer sessions could irritate and inflame the mucus membranes lining your respiratory system.
Plus, recreational oxygen often comes in scented or flavored varieties. Since oxygen bars and portable oxygen isn’t regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it’s hard to say what’s exactly pumped out through those nose tubes and canisters. Edelman cautions that those with allergies or asthma may react to artificial or strong scents. And those with lung conditions such as chronic bronchitis should probably steer clear, too.
RELATED: Infrared Saunas Are Hot Right Now. But Are They Safe?
For those who do claim to feel better after a dose of oxygen? You might be just experiencing a placebo effect. “It may give a sense of euphoria and if it does, I don’t know how it does that,” says Edelman.
A better, cheaper alternative? Step away from your computer, take a walk outside and breathe in the fresh air.
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Katie Karlson wanted to start a meditation practice, but couldn’t find the right fit. Mindfulness meditation didn’t work for her. Neither did focusing on her breath, which just made her anxiety worse. Guided meditations helped, but Karlson wanted something she could do on her own without relying on a tool or app.

So when her boss, who happens to be spiritual guru Gabrielle Bernstein, wrote about her experience learning transcendental meditation (aka TM), the 34-year old from Ann Arbor, MI was sold.

While Karlson didn’t expect TM to be a cure-all, she says it’s taught her to quiet the physical symptoms of her anxiety and to find a calmer state of mind in her daily life. Plus, now she can literally breathe. “Since I’ve practiced TM, I noticed pretty quickly that I could take a full breath in a situation where my anxiety was spiked or heightened. That’s not something I could do before,” she says. “It’s a beautiful ritual to start the day. It’s energizing and I feel more awake.”

Karlson isn’t the only one to swear by the profound effects of transcendental meditation. Devotees include celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Cameron Diaz and Oprah, titans of Wall Street, the Beatles and the wellness-obsessed.

But TM is cloaked in a bit of mystery. What exactly is transcendental meditation and how does it differ from other forms of meditation? Here’s what you need to know.

Desperately Seeking Transcendence

As you may have noticed, meditation is everywhere. With the constant binging, beeping and noise in our everyday lives, who wouldn’t want a super-easy way to find quiet and peace?

That’s the promise of TM. Twice a day, you close your eyes, sit comfortably for 20 minutes and silently repeat a mantra or meaningless word in your head. The mantra is specially chosen for you by your TM teacher to access an internal state of calm.

Bob Roth, Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation — an organization that promotes the practice of TM — describes it as a way to tap into the deep levels of the mind. He likens it to diving into the depths of the ocean where it is still and quiet, far below the breaking waves and turbulent surface of the water. That’s where TM takes you.

But the practice isn’t tied to a specific religion or philosophy, and you don’t have to change your diet or lifestyle. In fact, you don’t need to believe in the practice in order for it to work, says Roth.

“I found more peace, clarity of mind and energy. Stress affected me much less.”

John Allon was skeptical when he first learned about transcendental meditation during his senior year of college. He visited his younger brother who has recently learned the practice and noticed his subtle transformation. “I didn’t know meditation from a hole in the ground but whatever he had, I wanted a taste of it,” he says. After a weekend on a TM retreat, he came back to school and smiled the entire week. “I was in such a state of euphoria the likes of which I had never experienced before,” Allon says, who now lives in Fairfield, Iowa and has been teaching TM for 46 years. “I found more peace, clarity of mind and energy. Stress affected me much less.”

Transcendental Meditation: The Power of Positive Mantras

But doesn’t that sound like the promise of every other type of meditation? Yes and no. Roth says that there are three unique types of meditation, each with its specific purpose.

With focused attention meditation, like zen meditation, you concentrate on one specific thing — a sound, a body part, a picture — in order to train and clear your mind. With open-monitoring techniques like mindfulness meditation, you teach your mind to dispassionately observe your thoughts or body sensations and stay in the present moment. This can also be a helpful coping mechanism. Both of these meditation practices require controlling the mind to a certain extent.

In contrast, self-transcending practices, like TM, don’t involve concentrating or training of your mind. It’s effortless, says Roth. “The repetition of the mantra isn’t to focus your attention or blot out other thoughts. It’s a subtle mechanism to turn your attention within,” he says. That inward focus allows you to settle into a natural state of calm alertness. In other words, you have a transcendent experience.

“When you access that level during TM, you experience a profound rest that eliminates the build up of deeply rooted stress and tension, improves health and wakes up and improves the cognitive function of the brain.” Research has found that TM reduced blood pressure, cortisol levels and even stress and trauma in populations like male inmates.

The other difference? You learn the practice in-person with a certified TM teacher. No YouTube video, online course, book or app necessary. To get started, you attend an introductory workshop, meet privately with an instructor (who gives you your mantra and teaches you to use it properly) and take a four-day course — all for close to $1,000.

Some scoff at the high price tag as a money-making scheme. However, the Maharishi Foundation USA, a nonprofit organization that teaches TM, claims that proceeds go to support initiatives to teach TM to under-served populations. (Think: at-risk youth, veterans and those involved in the criminal justice system.)

Is Transcendental Meditation Right for You?

Whether you practice TM, mindfulness-based meditation or focused attention, there’s no denying that meditation is a good thing with benefits for your physical and mental health. If you’re curious about transcendental meditation and have the resources to invest, you could try it for yourself.

Just remember, finding the right meditation practice for you can be like finding the glass slipper. You may have to try a few different methods before you find the best fit.

]]>[caption id="attachment_60703" align="alignnone" width="620"]Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
Katie Karlson wanted to start a meditation practice, but couldn’t find the right fit. Mindfulness meditation didn’t work for her. Neither did focusing on her breath, which just made her anxiety worse. Guided meditations helped, but Karlson wanted something she could do on her own without relying on a tool or app.
So when her boss, who happens to be spiritual guru Gabrielle Bernstein, wrote about her experience learning transcendental meditation (aka TM), the 34-year old from Ann Arbor, MI was sold.
RELATED: 5 Blissful Meditation Studios to Stop and Feel the Zen
While Karlson didn’t expect TM to be a cure-all, she says it’s taught her to quiet the physical symptoms of her anxiety and to find a calmer state of mind in her daily life. Plus, now she can literally breathe. “Since I’ve practiced TM, I noticed pretty quickly that I could take a full breath in a situation where my anxiety was spiked or heightened. That’s not something I could do before,” she says. “It’s a beautiful ritual to start the day. It’s energizing and I feel more awake.”
Karlson isn’t the only one to swear by the profound effects of transcendental meditation. Devotees include celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Cameron Diaz and Oprah, titans of Wall Street, the Beatles and the wellness-obsessed.
But TM is cloaked in a bit of mystery. What exactly is transcendental meditation and how does it differ from other forms of meditation? Here’s what you need to know.
RELATED: How Yoga in a Salt Room Helped Me Deal with Anxiety

Desperately Seeking Transcendence

As you may have noticed, meditation is everywhere. With the constant binging, beeping and noise in our everyday lives, who wouldn’t want a super-easy way to find quiet and peace?
That’s the promise of TM. Twice a day, you close your eyes, sit comfortably for 20 minutes and silently repeat a mantra or meaningless word in your head. The mantra is specially chosen for you by your TM teacher to access an internal state of calm.
Bob Roth, Executive Director of the David Lynch Foundation — an organization that promotes the practice of TM — describes it as a way to tap into the deep levels of the mind. He likens it to diving into the depths of the ocean where it is still and quiet, far below the breaking waves and turbulent surface of the water. That’s where TM takes you.
But the practice isn’t tied to a specific religion or philosophy, and you don’t have to change your diet or lifestyle. In fact, you don’t need to believe in the practice in order for it to work, says Roth.

“I found more peace, clarity of mind and energy. Stress affected me much less.”

John Allon was skeptical when he first learned about transcendental meditation during his senior year of college. He visited his younger brother who has recently learned the practice and noticed his subtle transformation. “I didn’t know meditation from a hole in the ground but whatever he had, I wanted a taste of it,” he says. After a weekend on a TM retreat, he came back to school and smiled the entire week. “I was in such a state of euphoria the likes of which I had never experienced before,” Allon says, who now lives in Fairfield, Iowa and has been teaching TM for 46 years. “I found more peace, clarity of mind and energy. Stress affected me much less.”
RELATED: 3 Moving Meditations to Take Your Workout Higher

Transcendental Meditation: The Power of Positive Mantras

But doesn’t that sound like the promise of every other type of meditation? Yes and no. Roth says that there are three unique types of meditation, each with its specific purpose.
With focused attention meditation, like zen meditation, you concentrate on one specific thing — a sound, a body part, a picture — in order to train and clear your mind. With open-monitoring techniques like mindfulness meditation, you teach your mind to dispassionately observe your thoughts or body sensations and stay in the present moment. This can also be a helpful coping mechanism. Both of these meditation practices require controlling the mind to a certain extent.
In contrast, self-transcending practices, like TM, don’t involve concentrating or training of your mind. It’s effortless, says Roth. “The repetition of the mantra isn’t to focus your attention or blot out other thoughts. It’s a subtle mechanism to turn your attention within,” he says. That inward focus allows you to settle into a natural state of calm alertness. In other words, you have a transcendent experience.
RELATED: The Daily Meditation You Can Do in Front of a Mirror
“When you access that level during TM, you experience a profound rest that eliminates the build up of deeply rooted stress and tension, improves health and wakes up and improves the cognitive function of the brain.” Research has found that TM reduced blood pressure, cortisol levels and even stress and trauma in populations like male inmates.
The other difference? You learn the practice in-person with a certified TM teacher. No YouTube video, online course, book or app necessary. To get started, you attend an introductory workshop, meet privately with an instructor (who gives you your mantra and teaches you to use it properly) and take a four-day course — all for close to $1,000.
Some scoff at the high price tag as a money-making scheme. However, the Maharishi Foundation USA, a nonprofit organization that teaches TM, claims that proceeds go to support initiatives to teach TM to under-served populations. (Think: at-risk youth, veterans and those involved in the criminal justice system.)

You brush your teeth and floss on the reg. You’ve tried everything from the latest toothpaste to whitening strips, gels and trays but nothing seems to give you that 100-watt smile. So what’s the best way to get gleaming pearly whites?

According to Pinterest and YouTube, the path to whiter teeth is covered in a pitch-black paste. Bloggers and vloggers claim that brushing with activated charcoal is an all-natural way to remove surface stains caused by coffee, tea or red wine without bleach or abrasives. To prove it, they’re flaunting soot-covered teeth straight out of a horror movie. The result? Fluorescent white teeth after as few as one use, proponents say.

While you may have used charcoal in your skincare and juice routine (see the pros and cons of ingesting it here), should you replace your toothpaste with the powdery black substance? We checked in with dental professionals to find out whether activated charcoal is a safe and effective way to whiten your teeth — or if it will just leave your mouth full of dust.

Activated Charcoal: The Whitening Promise

“Activated charcoal has been used for many things. It’s a purifying agent that absorbs impurities,” says Dr. Mark Wolff, DDS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at the New York University College of Dentistry. While you’ll find activated charcoal in air filters, traditionally, hospitals and poison control centers use it to treat accidental poisoning or a drug overdose. Unlike the bricks you use for your backyard barbecue, activated charcoal’s enormous surface area is dotted with the numerous nooks and crannies that draw in and trap toxic substances in your gut like a sponge, preventing them from being absorbed by the body by approximately 47 percent. The bad stuff is then carried out with your next bowel movement.

“Like any abrasive, we’re worried about the effects on the gums and enamel on the teeth."

More recently, though, the superfine powder has made its way to the health and beauty market, popping up in everything from face masks to cleaners to detox regimens. And the latest body part to get the black magic treatment is your smile. After all, if activated charcoal can remove toxins from our body and skin, can’t it remove those pesky stains from your teeth and get them squeaky clean?

Is Black the New White?

Proponents say yes. And the prescription is simple: First, break open capsules of activated charcoal, mix the powder with water, then brush the thick black paste directly onto your teeth. Others recommend swishing the powder around in your mouth or using a special toothpaste containing charcoal. After three to five minutes, rinse away the charcoal (and stains) and voilà! Whiter teeth. In theory, at least…

Your teeth may become discolored due to a variety of factors from poor dental hygiene to the food you eat to just getting older. “If you eat a blueberry, it could stain it blue,” says Dr. Wolff. “Those are the types of stains that they think if you brush with charcoal, you can clean off.”

But Minneapolis-based dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association Dr. Kim Harms, DDS says to hold off. “There’s no evidence at all that activated charcoal does any good for your teeth,” says Dr. Harms. She worries about the potential damage the grainy substance can do to your teeth and gums. “Like any abrasive, we’re worried about the effects on the gums and enamel on the teeth. We don’t know about the safety and effectiveness of it,” she says. And according to Dr. Wolff, attempts to use charcoal in toothpaste haven’t been met with tremendous success.

Dr. Harms also notes that activated charcoal shouldn’t replace everyday teeth cleaning and regular visits to the dentist. “The important part of brushing and flossing is the physical removal of plaque. The toothpaste you’re using, from a dentist’s point of view, delivers fluoride to teeth,” she says. “We’re concerned about practices where people are using products without fluoride. Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter and can cut tooth decay by up to 40 percent.”

Charcoal Toothpaste: The Gritty Truth

“There’s no scientific indication that [activated charcoal] actually works and there are better options out there that do work,” says Dr. Harms. If you want a gleaming white smile, both Dr. Harms and Dr. Wolff recommend talking to your dentist about using traditional whitening toothpaste for surface stains or over-the-counter treatments for deeper stains.

“Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” says Dr. Wolff. “I still recommend any of the mainstream whitening toothpastes or seeing the dentist. The mainstream whitening toothpastes are going to be safe. There are a number of products on the market that can be too abrasive.” If you do go the DIY charcoal-route, he advises using it sparingly and discontinuing its use if your teeth become sensitive.

]]>[caption id="attachment_48686" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]
You brush your teeth and floss on the reg. You’ve tried everything from the latest toothpaste to whitening strips, gels and trays but nothing seems to give you that 100-watt smile. So what’s the best way to get gleaming pearly whites?
According to Pinterest and YouTube, the path to whiter teeth is covered in a pitch-black paste. Bloggers and vloggers claim that brushing with activated charcoal is an all-natural way to remove surface stains caused by coffee, tea or red wine without bleach or abrasives. To prove it, they’re flaunting soot-covered teeth straight out of a horror movie. The result? Fluorescent white teeth after as few as one use, proponents say.
While you may have used charcoal in your skincare and juice routine (see the pros and cons of ingesting it here), should you replace your toothpaste with the powdery black substance? We checked in with dental professionals to find out whether activated charcoal is a safe and effective way to whiten your teeth — or if it will just leave your mouth full of dust.
RELATED: Could Eating Charcoal Help You Detox?

Activated Charcoal: The Whitening Promise

“Activated charcoal has been used for many things. It’s a purifying agent that absorbs impurities,” says Dr. Mark Wolff, DDS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care at the New York University College of Dentistry. While you’ll find activated charcoal in air filters, traditionally, hospitals and poison control centers use it to treat accidental poisoning or a drug overdose. Unlike the bricks you use for your backyard barbecue, activated charcoal’s enormous surface area is dotted with the numerous nooks and crannies that draw in and trap toxic substances in your gut like a sponge, preventing them from being absorbed by the body by approximately 47 percent. The bad stuff is then carried out with your next bowel movement.

“Like any abrasive, we’re worried about the effects on the gums and enamel on the teeth."

More recently, though, the superfine powder has made its way to the health and beauty market, popping up in everything from face masks to cleaners to detox regimens. And the latest body part to get the black magic treatment is your smile. After all, if activated charcoal can remove toxins from our body and skin, can’t it remove those pesky stains from your teeth and get them squeaky clean?

Is Black the New White?

Proponents say yes. And the prescription is simple: First, break open capsules of activated charcoal, mix the powder with water, then brush the thick black paste directly onto your teeth. Others recommend swishing the powder around in your mouth or using a special toothpaste containing charcoal. After three to five minutes, rinse away the charcoal (and stains) and voilà! Whiter teeth. In theory, at least…
Your teeth may become discolored due to a variety of factors from poor dental hygiene to the food you eat to just getting older. “If you eat a blueberry, it could stain it blue,” says Dr. Wolff. “Those are the types of stains that they think if you brush with charcoal, you can clean off.”
But Minneapolis-based dentist and spokesperson for the American Dental Association Dr. Kim Harms, DDS says to hold off. “There’s no evidence at all that activated charcoal does any good for your teeth,” says Dr. Harms. She worries about the potential damage the grainy substance can do to your teeth and gums. “Like any abrasive, we’re worried about the effects on the gums and enamel on the teeth. We don’t know about the safety and effectiveness of it,” she says. And according to Dr. Wolff, attempts to use charcoal in toothpaste haven’t been met with tremendous success.
Dr. Harms also notes that activated charcoal shouldn’t replace everyday teeth cleaning and regular visits to the dentist. “The important part of brushing and flossing is the physical removal of plaque. The toothpaste you’re using, from a dentist’s point of view, delivers fluoride to teeth,” she says. “We’re concerned about practices where people are using products without fluoride. Fluoride is nature’s cavity fighter and can cut tooth decay by up to 40 percent.”

Charcoal Toothpaste: The Gritty Truth

“There’s no scientific indication that [activated charcoal] actually works and there are better options out there that do work,” says Dr. Harms. If you want a gleaming white smile, both Dr. Harms and Dr. Wolff recommend talking to your dentist about using traditional whitening toothpaste for surface stains or over-the-counter treatments for deeper stains.
“Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” says Dr. Wolff. “I still recommend any of the mainstream whitening toothpastes or seeing the dentist. The mainstream whitening toothpastes are going to be safe. There are a number of products on the market that can be too abrasive.” If you do go the DIY charcoal-route, he advises using it sparingly and discontinuing its use if your teeth become sensitive.
Originally published March 2016. Updated July 20, 2017. Read MoreAre Teatoxes the New Juice Cleanses?
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There are many reasons to love a good swim workout. It’s low-impact, makes your heart pound and it fires up literally every muscle in your body. Not to mention, swapping out land-based activities for aqua time is a great way to cross-train.

However, working up a good sweat in the pool is more than just donning your swimsuit and splish-splashing around. Like all exercise, form and technique help you make the most out of every minute. To stop you from feeling like a fish out of water, we talked to the pros to find out how to swim better and faster. Time to dive right in to tuning up your technique.

10 Tips for How to Swim Every Stroke

1. Engage your core.

The key to swimming efficiently is maintaining a streamlined position, and that requires a strong core. That means tight abs, glutes and lower back. Most people tend to relax and just float around when in the water, but you want to work. ”If you don’t tighten your core, you’re kind of like a jellyfish, wriggling everywhere,” says Melis Edwards, author of Deep End of the Pool Workouts: No-Impact Interval Training and Strength Exercises, which outlines interval-based pool workouts designed to develop power, strength and endurance, particularly in your core.

2. Exhale into the water.

In other words, don’t try to both inhale and exhale when your head is above the water. “You’ll never get the appropriate amount of oxygen so you’ll feel out of breath,” says Jaime Benes, former coach and COO of the Santa Clara Swim Club and current VP at swimoutlet.com. “Remember to release air under the water so when you turn to the side, you’re getting as much air in as you can.”

3. Swim with fins.

During practice sessions, take your drills beyond the kick board. “[Fins are] a really nice way to work on your stroke and not have to worry about propelling your body up,” says Benes. “The fins do a lot of that work for you.”

4. Don’t stare at the black line.

When you’re swimming, avoid looking straight down or up at the wall. To help find your proper head position, Benes suggests this approach: “Make a fist with your hand and put it between your chin and your chest. That’s where you want your head position to be,” she says. Tilting your head down this way will also help your body be more buoyant in the water.

5. Think of your hand as a fin.

When you’re in the water, you want to swim with the ease of a fish, so think of your hand as a fin through every stroke (and every type, from backstroke to freestyle). Keep a slight scoop so you can move more water. “This allows you to propel yourself a little bit further and get a little more traction with each stroke,” Benes says.

6. Draw a line down the center of your body.

As you pull your arm through the water during freestyle, make sure your hand doesn’t cross over the midline of your body, says Benes. Then, finish your stroke with your thumb near your hip. “That’s the power point of your stroke,” says Benes. “You want to focus on a long stroke out front, draw down the midline of your body, and then push really hard from your hip to fully straighten your arm.” The result? You’ll maximize your efficiency and distance traveled every time you do the full circle.

7. Rotate in the water.

Ideally, “you’re never flat in the water. You’re always rotating ever so slightly from one side to the other,” says Benes. She explains that as you freestyle through the water, you should position your body at roughly a 45-degree angle, like you’re on a diagonal and cutting through the water. The movement then comes from your hips and shoulders.

8. Keep your head level in backstroke.

First things first, backstroke is more than just floating on your back. You have to keep your body in a streamlined position, not to mention swim without seeing where you’re going. In an effort to bring the hips and legs up, you may tip your head too far back in the water, leading to an inefficient stroke. Benes suggests focusing on something in your line of vision that’s high in the sky — not a person on the deck. “This will help your head be in the right position and you’ll swim straighter, too,” she says.

9. Use your lower half in butterfly.

The power in your butterfly comes from your kick — but it's not your typical movement. But that means you have to push your hips forward, instead of bending and kicking down from your knees. “Imagine popping your butt up every time you kick so that it almost comes out of the water,” says Benes. “This will help drive from the hips versus your knees.”

10. Maximize your glide in breaststroke.

While you may associate breaststroke with the older folks in the pool, the secret to supercharging your stroke is in the glide. “Once you’ve gone through your entire pull and kick, hold it for a second longer and get as far as you possibly can before you start your next stroke,” says Benes. “This will give you a long, smooth glide.” Plus, you’ll get a little more time to relax, a bonus if you’re swimming speedy laps and need some active recovery time.

]]>[caption id="attachment_60198" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
There are many reasons to love a good swim workout. It’s low-impact, makes your heart pound and it fires up literally every muscle in your body. Not to mention, swapping out land-based activities for aqua time is a great way to cross-train.
However, working up a good sweat in the pool is more than just donning your swimsuit and splish-splashing around. Like all exercise, form and technique help you make the most out of every minute. To stop you from feeling like a fish out of water, we talked to the pros to find out how to swim better and faster. Time to dive right in to tuning up your technique.
RELATED: 3 Swimming Workouts for Every Skill Level

10 Tips for How to Swim Every Stroke

1. Engage your core.

The key to swimming efficiently is maintaining a streamlined position, and that requires a strong core. That means tight abs, glutes and lower back. Most people tend to relax and just float around when in the water, but you want to work. ”If you don’t tighten your core, you’re kind of like a jellyfish, wriggling everywhere,” says Melis Edwards, author of Deep End of the Pool Workouts: No-Impact Interval Training and Strength Exercises, which outlines interval-based pool workouts designed to develop power, strength and endurance, particularly in your core.

2. Exhale into the water.

In other words, don’t try to both inhale and exhale when your head is above the water. “You’ll never get the appropriate amount of oxygen so you’ll feel out of breath,” says Jaime Benes, former coach and COO of the Santa Clara Swim Club and current VP at swimoutlet.com. “Remember to release air under the water so when you turn to the side, you’re getting as much air in as you can.”
RELATED: How to Conquer Your Fear of Open Water Swimming

3. Swim with fins.

During practice sessions, take your drills beyond the kick board. “[Fins are] a really nice way to work on your stroke and not have to worry about propelling your body up,” says Benes. “The fins do a lot of that work for you.”

4. Don’t stare at the black line.

When you’re swimming, avoid looking straight down or up at the wall. To help find your proper head position, Benes suggests this approach: “Make a fist with your hand and put it between your chin and your chest. That’s where you want your head position to be,” she says. Tilting your head down this way will also help your body be more buoyant in the water.
RELATED: 6 Easy Ways to Add Cardio to Your Strength Workout

5. Think of your hand as a fin.

When you’re in the water, you want to swim with the ease of a fish, so think of your hand as a fin through every stroke (and every type, from backstroke to freestyle). Keep a slight scoop so you can move more water. “This allows you to propel yourself a little bit further and get a little more traction with each stroke,” Benes says.

6. Draw a line down the center of your body.

As you pull your arm through the water during freestyle, make sure your hand doesn’t cross over the midline of your body, says Benes. Then, finish your stroke with your thumb near your hip. “That’s the power point of your stroke,” says Benes. “You want to focus on a long stroke out front, draw down the midline of your body, and then push really hard from your hip to fully straighten your arm.” The result? You’ll maximize your efficiency and distance traveled every time you do the full circle.
RELATED: How to Score Perfect Running Form Like the Pros

7. Rotate in the water.

Ideally, “you’re never flat in the water. You’re always rotating ever so slightly from one side to the other,” says Benes. She explains that as you freestyle through the water, you should position your body at roughly a 45-degree angle, like you’re on a diagonal and cutting through the water. The movement then comes from your hips and shoulders.

8. Keep your head level in backstroke.

First things first, backstroke is more than just floating on your back. You have to keep your body in a streamlined position, not to mention swim without seeing where you’re going. In an effort to bring the hips and legs up, you may tip your head too far back in the water, leading to an inefficient stroke. Benes suggests focusing on something in your line of vision that’s high in the sky — not a person on the deck. “This will help your head be in the right position and you’ll swim straighter, too,” she says.
RELATED: A Beginner’s Guide to Triathlon Training

9. Use your lower half in butterfly.

The power in your butterfly comes from your kick — but it's not your typical movement. But that means you have to push your hips forward, instead of bending and kicking down from your knees. “Imagine popping your butt up every time you kick so that it almost comes out of the water,” says Benes. “This will help drive from the hips versus your knees.”

10. Maximize your glide in breaststroke.

While you may associate breaststroke with the older folks in the pool, the secret to supercharging your stroke is in the glide. “Once you’ve gone through your entire pull and kick, hold it for a second longer and get as far as you possibly can before you start your next stroke,” says Benes. “This will give you a long, smooth glide.” Plus, you’ll get a little more time to relax, a bonus if you’re swimming speedy laps and need some active recovery time.

“There’s so much emphasis in our culture on happiness, but it’s important to recognize that the need to be happier is in and of itself a particular form of unhappiness,” she says. “It’s almost like the glass is, by definition, half empty if what you need is to be happier.”

Another mistake she sees: mistaking pleasure for happiness. “We pursue pleasure and gratification as though it’s the same as a positive emotion like joy, gratitude, confidence or awe,” she says. But constantly seeking pleasure can leave you dissatisfied. “When something is gratifying, it stimulates the reward system in our brain and release a little hit of dopamine. Dopamine’s primary function is to create craving or desire — it leaves us wanting more.”

Instead of chasing the elusive happiness fix, we asked Carter, as well as other happiness experts, psychologists and life coaches how they fight negativity and cultivate joy every day. Try these 11 simple, expert-endorsed tips.

11 Tricks to Finding More Happiness Every Day

1. Make a Wish

According to Carter, one of the best predictor’s of a person’s happiness is their connection to other people. “That’s the thing that’s going to move the needle the most — not the pursuit of happiness for ourselves, but for other people,” she says. One way to do that? Make a wish for someone to be happy, says Chade-Meng Tan, author of Joy on Demand, and former Jolly Good Fellow at Google. (Yes, that was his real title!) “As you take a deep breath and a moment to wish this person happiness, you are creating a useful mental habit,” he says. “You feel more joyful and sincere goodwill is picked up unconsciously by others and creates trust that leads to highly productive and positive collaborations.”

2. Put Pen to Paper

“Gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions we have related to happiness and connectedness.”

You already know that journaling about a stressful or emotional event can have long-term physical and psychological benefits. Well, it can do wonders for your happiness, too. Tara Newman, a business and leadership coach, trains herself to find silver linings with her journal. “Define happiness for yourself so you aren’t derailed by what makes other people happy,” she says. And don’t just focus on specific outcomes. Newman suggests using all your senses. Think: What does happiness look, feel, smell and taste like? “Practicing happiness every day makes it easier for us to grab hold of those feelings when things get hard,” she says.

3. Say Thanks (More Than Once)

“Gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions we have related to happiness and connectedness,” says Carter. That’s why she’s builds several gratitude practices into her daily schedule. “It becomes habit,” she says.

Every morning, Carter pulls out her planner and writes down her gratitude list of three things. When her family gathers for dinner, they each share one thing they’re thankful for that day. “It shifts my attention away from what might not be working to what is working,” she says. Better yet, Carter tells her husband what she appreciates about him every day. “Even just thinking about what you’re grateful for in another person can improve the relationship,” she says.

4. Lend a Hand

“For me, happiness isn’t just feeling good. It’s also about doing good,” says Dr. Timothy Sharp, Chief Happiness Officer at The Happiness Institute. “I get my greatest pleasure and satisfaction when I’m doing what I can to help others and/or contributing in some way to causes that are important to me.” On a daily basis, that can mean surprising his colleagues with coffee or sending a fruit box to a friend going through a tough time.

5. Find Your BPO

A hectic schedule and a never-ending to-do list has a way of sucking some joy out of life. That’s why Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey, co-founders of Shine, the text-based service that promotes positive mental health, hone in on their BPO — aka biggest possible opportunity. “By remembering the big picture opportunities, you’re reminding yourself the purpose behind your work and what you do, which research says helps with feelings of gratitude and joy,” they say. Try starting your day with a few moments to focus on your BPO and the little things that lead to it.

6. Go with the Flow

Stress can seriously lower your cheerfulness levels. “It’s hard to feel really joyful when you’re tense and overwhelmed,” says Carter. To dial back stress, she gets in a work groove by blocking off one and a half hours, sans interruption. “It’s a sacred time for me to be able to engage deeply with my work,” she says. After all, crossing a bunch items off your list of to-dos can make you feel great.

7. Reframe Your Commute

“Acknowledge your wins and lessons learned. This is the silver living.”

From road rage to delayed trains, commuting can often feel anything but happy. That’s why Sumati Gupta, clinical psychologist and a professor at Barnard College, hones in on her surroundings en route to the office. “When walking to work, I try to focus on what’s pretty around me for one block,” she says. Think: trees and architecture, instead of trash and crowded streets. “Honestly, it makes me very grateful that I get to live in New York City. It’s a really cool place, at least when you look up.”

Hirabayashi and Lidey opt for biking to work, rather than hopping on the train. “What we love about biking is you can’t be plugged in, and as a result, it gives our minds time to wander, helping us feel more balanced overall,” they say.

8. Do Sweat the Small Stuff

Most of us are pretty good about celebrating the big wins — a promotion at work or snagging a race PR. But acknowledging those everyday wins (say, a nice convo with a co-worker or making it to your fave workout class) can give you an instant mood boost, too. “Humans are hard on themselves and often fail to acknowledge how far they’ve come,” says Newman. “Acknowledge your wins and lessons learned. This is the silver living.” Think back on your day and remember the good that came from it.

9. Press Pause

Always working in the fast lane? “When things feel hard, it’s usually because I’m forcing them or I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. So I slow down,” says Newman. “It might be for 15 minutes or I might rearrange my schedule to give myself more space to just be. Doing less creates the space for me to let happiness back in.” Another way to create some “me” time in your schedule to slow down: Say ‘no’ more often.

10. Have a Cuppa

One way to find calm: Pour a cup of tea. Every morning, Gupta makes a mug full of chai from scratch. “I’m focused on the act of making the chai and sipping it. In those moments, there’s nothing else I have to do,” she says. “I drink it mindfully and am grateful that I have the time to do just that.” Spend a few extra minutes making your morning tea or coffee and really focus on the task at hand. It’ll be like a moving meditation.

11. Read Something Inspiring

An instant happiness booster for Carter involves reading poetry. “There are some Mary Oliver poems that, when I read them, I feel a sense of elevation,” she says. “It’s a way of fostering positive emotion.” If poetry isn’t your jam, pick up something you’ve always been curious about. It can give you the same sense of inspiration and awe.

]]>[caption id="attachment_59865" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
Finding happiness seems like a pretty straight-forward task. Just turn your frown upside-down or maybe book a spa day, right? Not quite, says Christine Carter, happiness expert and author of The Sweet Spot: How to Accomplish More by Doing Less, who says that we may be trying too hard to be happy.
“There’s so much emphasis in our culture on happiness, but it’s important to recognize that the need to be happier is in and of itself a particular form of unhappiness,” she says. “It’s almost like the glass is, by definition, half empty if what you need is to be happier.”
RELATED: Is a Lack of Self-Awareness Keeping You from Happiness?
Another mistake she sees: mistaking pleasure for happiness. “We pursue pleasure and gratification as though it’s the same as a positive emotion like joy, gratitude, confidence or awe,” she says. But constantly seeking pleasure can leave you dissatisfied. “When something is gratifying, it stimulates the reward system in our brain and release a little hit of dopamine. Dopamine’s primary function is to create craving or desire — it leaves us wanting more.”
Instead of chasing the elusive happiness fix, we asked Carter, as well as other happiness experts, psychologists and life coaches how they fight negativity and cultivate joy every day. Try these 11 simple, expert-endorsed tips.
RELATED: 19 Positive Affirmations That’ll Change the Way You Think

11 Tricks to Finding More Happiness Every Day

1. Make a Wish

According to Carter, one of the best predictor’s of a person’s happiness is their connection to other people. “That’s the thing that’s going to move the needle the most — not the pursuit of happiness for ourselves, but for other people,” she says. One way to do that? Make a wish for someone to be happy, says Chade-Meng Tan, author of Joy on Demand, and former Jolly Good Fellow at Google. (Yes, that was his real title!) “As you take a deep breath and a moment to wish this person happiness, you are creating a useful mental habit,” he says. “You feel more joyful and sincere goodwill is picked up unconsciously by others and creates trust that leads to highly productive and positive collaborations.”

2. Put Pen to Paper

“Gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions we have related to happiness and connectedness.”

You already know that journaling about a stressful or emotional event can have long-term physical and psychological benefits. Well, it can do wonders for your happiness, too. Tara Newman, a business and leadership coach, trains herself to find silver linings with her journal. “Define happiness for yourself so you aren’t derailed by what makes other people happy,” she says. And don’t just focus on specific outcomes. Newman suggests using all your senses. Think: What does happiness look, feel, smell and taste like? “Practicing happiness every day makes it easier for us to grab hold of those feelings when things get hard,” she says.
RELATED: How the Bullet Journal Trend Can Change Your Life

3. Say Thanks (More Than Once)

“Gratitude is one of the most powerful positive emotions we have related to happiness and connectedness,” says Carter. That’s why she’s builds several gratitude practices into her daily schedule. “It becomes habit,” she says.
Every morning, Carter pulls out her planner and writes down her gratitude list of three things. When her family gathers for dinner, they each share one thing they’re thankful for that day. “It shifts my attention away from what might not be working to what is working,” she says. Better yet, Carter tells her husband what she appreciates about him every day. “Even just thinking about what you’re grateful for in another person can improve the relationship,” she says.

4. Lend a Hand

“For me, happiness isn’t just feeling good. It’s also about doing good,” says Dr. Timothy Sharp, Chief Happiness Officer at The Happiness Institute. “I get my greatest pleasure and satisfaction when I’m doing what I can to help others and/or contributing in some way to causes that are important to me.” On a daily basis, that can mean surprising his colleagues with coffee or sending a fruit box to a friend going through a tough time.
RELATED: Hygge, Fika and How Getting Cozy Can Make You Happier

5. Find Your BPO

A hectic schedule and a never-ending to-do list has a way of sucking some joy out of life. That’s why Naomi Hirabayashi and Marah Lidey, co-founders of Shine, the text-based service that promotes positive mental health, hone in on their BPO — aka biggest possible opportunity. “By remembering the big picture opportunities, you’re reminding yourself the purpose behind your work and what you do, which research says helps with feelings of gratitude and joy,” they say. Try starting your day with a few moments to focus on your BPO and the little things that lead to it.

6. Go with the Flow

Stress can seriously lower your cheerfulness levels. “It’s hard to feel really joyful when you’re tense and overwhelmed,” says Carter. To dial back stress, she gets in a work groove by blocking off one and a half hours, sans interruption. “It’s a sacred time for me to be able to engage deeply with my work,” she says. After all, crossing a bunch items off your list of to-dos can make you feel great.
RELATED: Single-Tasking: The Secret to Less Stress, More Productivity

7. Reframe Your Commute

“Acknowledge your wins and lessons learned. This is the silver living.”

From road rage to delayed trains, commuting can often feel anything but happy. That’s why Sumati Gupta, clinical psychologist and a professor at Barnard College, hones in on her surroundings en route to the office. “When walking to work, I try to focus on what’s pretty around me for one block,” she says. Think: trees and architecture, instead of trash and crowded streets. “Honestly, it makes me very grateful that I get to live in New York City. It’s a really cool place, at least when you look up.”
Hirabayashi and Lidey opt for biking to work, rather than hopping on the train. “What we love about biking is you can’t be plugged in, and as a result, it gives our minds time to wander, helping us feel more balanced overall,” they say.

8. Do Sweat the Small Stuff

Most of us are pretty good about celebrating the big wins — a promotion at work or snagging a race PR. But acknowledging those everyday wins (say, a nice convo with a co-worker or making it to your fave workout class) can give you an instant mood boost, too. “Humans are hard on themselves and often fail to acknowledge how far they’ve come,” says Newman. “Acknowledge your wins and lessons learned. This is the silver living.” Think back on your day and remember the good that came from it.
RELATED: Injured or Defeated? 4 Mental Strategies to Get Through

9. Press Pause

Always working in the fast lane? “When things feel hard, it’s usually because I’m forcing them or I’ve bitten off more than I can chew. So I slow down,” says Newman. “It might be for 15 minutes or I might rearrange my schedule to give myself more space to just be. Doing less creates the space for me to let happiness back in.” Another way to create some “me” time in your schedule to slow down: Say ‘no’ more often.

10. Have a Cuppa

One way to find calm: Pour a cup of tea. Every morning, Gupta makes a mug full of chai from scratch. “I’m focused on the act of making the chai and sipping it. In those moments, there’s nothing else I have to do,” she says. “I drink it mindfully and am grateful that I have the time to do just that.” Spend a few extra minutes making your morning tea or coffee and really focus on the task at hand. It’ll be like a moving meditation.
RELATED: 40 Resources for Practicing Mindfulness Every Day

11. Read Something Inspiring

An instant happiness booster for Carter involves reading poetry. “There are some Mary Oliver poems that, when I read them, I feel a sense of elevation,” she says. “It’s a way of fostering positive emotion.” If poetry isn’t your jam, pick up something you’ve always been curious about. It can give you the same sense of inspiration and awe.

]]>http://dailyburn.com/life/lifestyle/find-happiness-every-day/feed/0The Daily Meditation You Can Do in Front of a Mirrorhttp://dailyburn.com/life/lifestyle/mirror-meditation-self-esteem/
http://dailyburn.com/life/lifestyle/mirror-meditation-self-esteem/#respondTue, 23 May 2017 15:15:43 +0000http://dailyburn.com/life/?p=58749

That’s right, the new way to reduce stress and anxiety is to stare at your reflection in a mirror. But don’t worry: This isn’t a competition to determine who’s the fairest of them all. It’s a practice designed to develop self-compassion.

We talked to the founder of the practice, Tara Well, PhD, professor of psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University, to get a behind-the-scenes look at why you should make time to self-reflect — literally! Here’s what you need to know for your first mirror meditation session.

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

Let’s be honest. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with the mirror. You can’t help but stare when you catch a glimpse of your reflection. But look too long and it can be uncomfortable to hold your own gaze. And it’s often easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self-criticism and comparison. A wrinkle (or six) here. Too many freckles there.

That’s how Well used to feel. “As a teenager, I learned to become more critical of my appearance and not wanting to look in the mirror,” she says.

“We use mirrors for social grooming rituals like fixing our hair or make-up,” says Well. And when you do that day-in, day-out, it becomes habitual, which can promote self-criticism. “Then, we tend to look past ourselves, not at how we’re feeling. Or we don’t see ourselves as people but more as objects that need to look a certain way to get approval,” she says.

It wasn’t until Well was conducting a Skype session with a coaching client that she realized the potential transformative power of reflecting on your own image.

When she asked her client to look at herself in the camera and express a difficult realization, she says something clicked for her and her client. Then, Well experimented with mirror meditation on a trip. “When I came home, people noticed how different I was,” she says.

“Because we grow up being taught that we need to look a certain way, somehow we became separated from how we feel inside,” she says. “The mirror gives you a glimpse of what’s happening inside.”

Mirror Meditation: Just Look Into Your Eyes

A mirror meditation practice is as simple as it sounds. Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably with a mirror propped up in front of you. Observe yourself for 10 minutes...and that’s it. (Of course, if 10 minutes seems like forever, start with three to five minutes and go from there.)

Unlike traditional meditation practices, you don’t use a mantra or special breathing technique. Your gaze becomes the focus of your practice. “The mirror creates a focal point and a tool for people to track their attention. It makes it much easier to come back to your center by using this tool,” says Well.

“The goal is to be with yourself without an agenda and be open to whatever comes. There’s no way to get it right or wrong,” says Well. “Just come with the intention to be kind to yourself.”

Mirror meditation lets you actually look into the eye of the person receiving your critical thoughts — in this case, you. But the key is to recognize your negative thoughts, then pause, breathe and return to your gaze.

Through the daily practice, you become more familiar with your own appearance and notice your critical thoughts. “Whatever thoughts in your head that are normally in the background come to the foreground,” says Well. “The mirror hasn’t created these self-judgments but it’s reflecting them back to you.”

Some people find the experience intense. Others discover things that they didn’t know before. Well recommends the practice to anyone interested in personal growth or looking to change up their typical mindfulness rituals. Keep in mind, Well notes, that if you get super down on yourself, then it’s time to step away from the mirror for a while.

Behind the Looking Glass

Well believes that the interest and power of mirror meditation is due to the fact that our culture is so starved for attention that goes beyond surface level. Take the rise of selfies and other narcissistic behavior, for instance. “The reason that’s so prevalent is because people aren’t being seen authentically by each other,” she says. “Mirror meditation is the opposite of that. It allows you to look deeply. And when you are able to give that attention to yourself, you’re able to give kindness and compassion to others.”

In her studies, Well found that those who practiced mirror meditation for 10 minutes a day reported significant decrease in stress, anxiety and depression accompanied by an increase in self-compassion. She found that women in the study started to focus less on appearance and more on how they were feeling. In turn, this lead to self-reliance and a better connection with themselves. “Then, you choose relationships with people based less on how they can affirm you or not affirm you, but who authentically gets you,” says Well.

It can also be a tool to learn to regulate your emotions, which we often hide or ignore in our daily lives. “Doing mirror meditation, you’re more aware of your emotions and take responsibility for your emotions. You go into situations more aware of how you’re feeling,” says Well. “If you ignore when you’re angry or afraid and move forward with those negative emotions, they can leak out in ways that create problems for you and the people around you.”

So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion or just need a mental break, head to the bathroom, pull out a mirror and just take a few minutes to self-reflect. You might be surprised at what you see.

]]>[caption id="attachment_58751" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]
Mindfulness meditation, walking meditation, forest bathing — these days there are endless ways to get your zen fix. The latest? Mirror meditation.
That’s right, the new way to reduce stress and anxiety is to stare at your reflection in a mirror. But don’t worry: This isn’t a competition to determine who’s the fairest of them all. It’s a practice designed to develop self-compassion.
We talked to the founder of the practice, Tara Well, PhD, professor of psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University, to get a behind-the-scenes look at why you should make time to self-reflect — literally! Here’s what you need to know for your first mirror meditation session.
RELATED: 5 Blissful Meditation Studios to Stop and Feel the Zen

Mirror, Mirror On the Wall

Let’s be honest. Most of us have a love-hate relationship with the mirror. You can’t help but stare when you catch a glimpse of your reflection. But look too long and it can be uncomfortable to hold your own gaze. And it’s often easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self-criticism and comparison. A wrinkle (or six) here. Too many freckles there.
That’s how Well used to feel. “As a teenager, I learned to become more critical of my appearance and not wanting to look in the mirror,” she says.
“We use mirrors for social grooming rituals like fixing our hair or make-up,” says Well. And when you do that day-in, day-out, it becomes habitual, which can promote self-criticism. “Then, we tend to look past ourselves, not at how we’re feeling. Or we don’t see ourselves as people but more as objects that need to look a certain way to get approval,” she says.
RELATED: 7 Trainer Quotes That Will Instantly Boost Your Confidence
It wasn’t until Well was conducting a Skype session with a coaching client that she realized the potential transformative power of reflecting on your own image.
When she asked her client to look at herself in the camera and express a difficult realization, she says something clicked for her and her client. Then, Well experimented with mirror meditation on a trip. “When I came home, people noticed how different I was,” she says.
“Because we grow up being taught that we need to look a certain way, somehow we became separated from how we feel inside,” she says. “The mirror gives you a glimpse of what’s happening inside.”
RELATED: 7 Products to Make Your Home Instantly Zen

Mirror Meditation: Just Look Into Your Eyes

A mirror meditation practice is as simple as it sounds. Find a quiet spot and sit comfortably with a mirror propped up in front of you. Observe yourself for 10 minutes...and that’s it. (Of course, if 10 minutes seems like forever, start with three to five minutes and go from there.)
Unlike traditional meditation practices, you don’t use a mantra or special breathing technique. Your gaze becomes the focus of your practice. “The mirror creates a focal point and a tool for people to track their attention. It makes it much easier to come back to your center by using this tool,” says Well.
“The goal is to be with yourself without an agenda and be open to whatever comes. There’s no way to get it right or wrong,” says Well. “Just come with the intention to be kind to yourself.”
Mirror meditation lets you actually look into the eye of the person receiving your critical thoughts — in this case, you. But the key is to recognize your negative thoughts, then pause, breathe and return to your gaze.
Through the daily practice, you become more familiar with your own appearance and notice your critical thoughts. “Whatever thoughts in your head that are normally in the background come to the foreground,” says Well. “The mirror hasn’t created these self-judgments but it’s reflecting them back to you.”
Some people find the experience intense. Others discover things that they didn’t know before. Well recommends the practice to anyone interested in personal growth or looking to change up their typical mindfulness rituals. Keep in mind, Well notes, that if you get super down on yourself, then it’s time to step away from the mirror for a while.
RELATED: 5 Ways to Banish Negative Self-Talk for Good

Behind the Looking Glass

Well believes that the interest and power of mirror meditation is due to the fact that our culture is so starved for attention that goes beyond surface level. Take the rise of selfies and other narcissistic behavior, for instance. “The reason that’s so prevalent is because people aren’t being seen authentically by each other,” she says. “Mirror meditation is the opposite of that. It allows you to look deeply. And when you are able to give that attention to yourself, you’re able to give kindness and compassion to others.”
In her studies, Well found that those who practiced mirror meditation for 10 minutes a day reported significant decrease in stress, anxiety and depression accompanied by an increase in self-compassion. She found that women in the study started to focus less on appearance and more on how they were feeling. In turn, this lead to self-reliance and a better connection with themselves. “Then, you choose relationships with people based less on how they can affirm you or not affirm you, but who authentically gets you,” says Well.
RELATED: Is a Lack of Self-Awareness Keeping You From Happiness?
It can also be a tool to learn to regulate your emotions, which we often hide or ignore in our daily lives. “Doing mirror meditation, you’re more aware of your emotions and take responsibility for your emotions. You go into situations more aware of how you’re feeling,” says Well. “If you ignore when you’re angry or afraid and move forward with those negative emotions, they can leak out in ways that create problems for you and the people around you.”
So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed with emotion or just need a mental break, head to the bathroom, pull out a mirror and just take a few minutes to self-reflect. You might be surprised at what you see.

They say you are what you think. Think you’re destined to fail and you will. But believe you’re in charge of your own success and you’ll achieve your dreams. Wishful thinking? Maybe not.

Many swear by the power of affirmations to create positive changes in everything from finances and career to relationships and weight loss to improved self-confidence. These simple statements flood your brain with positive self-talk. They’re phrased in the present tense and declare what you want to be true about yourself or your life, as if it were already true. Think of it as a mental fake-it-‘til-you-make-it.

Need a little extra self-love to start your day? Scroll through these 19 positive affirmations — and manifest your way to the perfect day.

Repeat After Me… 17 Positive Affirmations to Inspire You

1. I am love. I am purpose. I was made with divine intention. (@bexlife)

With her #lookhowdopemylifeis movement, Rebekah Borucki reminds us that life is pretty grand. With this affirmation, the author and meditation guide reminds you not to let fear or expectations hold you back from living authentically.

New York Times best selling author and speaker Gabby Bernstein drops powerful affirmations that will inspire and empower you to manifest your dreams. The spirit junkie’s affirmations shift your thinking (don’t sweat the small stuff) to find miracles in your everyday life.

This statement from the IntenSati Method — high-energy workouts that fuse martial arts, yoga, dance and interval training with positive affirmations — confirms what we know is true. When your mind, body and spirit are in sync, it’s your time to shine.

6. I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness. (@sequellife_bp)

Sometimes you can feel like a slave to your emotions. Don’t. Remember, while you may not be able to control what happens during the day, you can control how you react and how you feel. Choose wisely.

Want to boost your confidence? Repeat after me: “I am my own superhero.” Who needs Ironman, Wolverine or Supergirl when you have you?

8. I will not compare myself to strangers on the Internet. (@emilymcdowell_)

Raise your hand if you need this reminder. While seeing someone’s post about their killer zero-dark-thirty workout might motivate you to get out of bed, social media can also make you feel crummy when you start comparing your life to others’ curated feeds. When it does, step back and repeat this affirmation.

Striving to improve yourself, your career or your relationships is a good thing, right? Yes, but remember to start by acknowledging that you’re worthy of self-love and achieving great things. If you constantly feel you’re not enough, heed this daily dose of self-love.

Sometimes it's difficult to live in the moment when you're pulled in a ton of different directions and have lots of distractions. So let this mantra, another from zen guru Gabrielle Bernstein, serve as your reminder (and permission!) to focus solely on the person you're with or the task at hand.

Let go of things you think you're suppose to do and instead focus on projects and goals you really want to accomplish. After all, you'll find more joy in the process when you remind yourself of why you started in the first place. And then there's no stopping you from achievement.

]]>
They say you are what you think. Think you’re destined to fail and you will. But believe you’re in charge of your own success and you’ll achieve your dreams. Wishful thinking? Maybe not.
Many swear by the power of affirmations to create positive changes in everything from finances and career to relationships and weight loss to improved self-confidence. These simple statements flood your brain with positive self-talk. They’re phrased in the present tense and declare what you want to be true about yourself or your life, as if it were already true. Think of it as a mental fake-it-‘til-you-make-it.
Need a little extra self-love to start your day? Scroll through these 19 positive affirmations — and manifest your way to the perfect day.
RELATED:5 Ways to Banish Negative Self-Talk for Good

Repeat After Me… 17 Positive Affirmations to Inspire You

1. I am love. I am purpose. I was made with divine intention. (@bexlife)

With her #lookhowdopemylifeis movement, Rebekah Borucki reminds us that life is pretty grand. With this affirmation, the author and meditation guide reminds you not to let fear or expectations hold you back from living authentically.

New York Times best selling author and speaker Gabby Bernstein drops powerful affirmations that will inspire and empower you to manifest your dreams. The spirit junkie’s affirmations shift your thinking (don’t sweat the small stuff) to find miracles in your everyday life.
RELATED:How to Fall in Love With Fitness in 4 Easy Steps

This statement from the IntenSati Method — high-energy workouts that fuse martial arts, yoga, dance and interval training with positive affirmations — confirms what we know is true. When your mind, body and spirit are in sync, it’s your time to shine.

6. I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness. (@sequellife_bp)

Want to boost your confidence? Repeat after me: “I am my own superhero.” Who needs Ironman, Wolverine or Supergirl when you have you?

8. I will not compare myself to strangers on the Internet. (@emilymcdowell_)

Raise your hand if you need this reminder. While seeing someone’s post about their killer zero-dark-thirty workout might motivate you to get out of bed, social media can also make you feel crummy when you start comparing your life to others’ curated feeds. When it does, step back and repeat this affirmation.

Striving to improve yourself, your career or your relationships is a good thing, right? Yes, but remember to start by acknowledging that you’re worthy of self-love and achieving great things. If you constantly feel you’re not enough, heed this daily dose of self-love.

We all carry around baggage — emotional, mental, physical — out of habit and obligation. And it’s heavy! But if it’s not helping you reach your desired destination, let it go.
RELATED: 12 Things Nobody Told Me About Losing Weight

And you means YOU. All the obstacles you encounter on your journey are worth it because it’s about making yourself proud…and no one else.
[caption id="attachment_58497" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]

Sometimes it's difficult to live in the moment when you're pulled in a ton of different directions and have lots of distractions. So let this mantra, another from zen guru Gabrielle Bernstein, serve as your reminder (and permission!) to focus solely on the person you're with or the task at hand.
[caption id="attachment_58498" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Twenty20[/caption]

Let go of things you think you're suppose to do and instead focus on projects and goals you really want to accomplish. After all, you'll find more joy in the process when you remind yourself of why you started in the first place. And then there's no stopping you from achievement.
Originally published March 2016. Updated May 2017.

On the surface, the TRX Suspension Trainer looks pretty unassuming. But these two adjustable straps may just be the best piece of equipment to strengthen your abs and core. “When we work our core on the TRX, it’s really challenging” says Shannon Colavecchio, who is an AFAA and ACE-certified personal trainer and certified in TRX Suspension Training and TRX RIP Trainer.

“With your hands or feet in the TRX, you only have two points of contact with the floor to help you stabilize your body, which means you have to recruit your core muscles,” says Colavecchio. Constant instability means those abdominal muscles are always on.

“What I really love about the TRX is that it engages so many muscles beyond just the specific one you’re working,” says Colavecchio. “It’s an efficient tool. You spend less time training, but you get more value from that training time,” she says. The owner of Badass Fitness Studio in Tallahassee, Florida also notes that TRX is accessible to people of all fitness levels. “I can have a class of 20 people ranging from pro football players to older women,” she says. “We can all work at our own level and progress, at our own pace. You can make the TRX work with you by making the exercise easier or harder — it’s all about changing the angle of your body.”

The 7 Best TRX Exercises to Work Your Abs

Tone up that six-pack to help improve core and back strength, as well as posture. Remember, form is key, especially on the TRX. “Just about every move requires that you be in a perfect plank position,” says Colavecchio. “You want a straight line from the neck all the way to the heels. Activate your glues, quads and hamstrings. If you are aware of this muscle engagement on the TRX, you’ll get so much more out of your workout.”

Colavecchio also recommends looking for modifications that will allow you to perform each move correctly and safely. “It takes some of the intensity away, but it allows you to perfect a move properly,” she says.

Activate those abs! Perform each of the seven exercises below in order with control. For those who are new to TRX, complete two rounds of 10 reps of each exercise. For those who are familiar with TRX training, complete two to three rounds of 15-20 reps of each exercise.

1. TRX Pikes

TRX pikes help you build a strong core by challenging your balance and stability, along with your abdominal muscles. “You can adjust the intensity of the exercise by how big your pike is,” advises Colavecchio. Plus, this is a great exercise to build strength for more advanced exercises such as handstands.

How to: Adjust the TRX straps to mid-calf length. Begin in a suspended plank position with your feet in the TRX loops, toes facing down and wrists directly underneath your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe (a). Pressing down through your palms, lift your hips up towards the ceiling by drawing your legs towards your chest until you look like an upside-down V, or as high as you can go (b). Slowly lower your legs and return to the starting position (c). Repeat.

2. TRX Atomic Push-Ups

They don’t call these atomic push-ups for nothing. It’s essentially a push-up followed by a crunch. This exercise is not only great for the core, but it works your shoulders, chest and hip flexors, too. For beginners, you can modify this exercise by performing the push-up with your knees on the floor.

How to: Start in a suspended plank position just like in the pike exercise, shoulders over hands, feet in the TRX with toes pointing down (a). Bending your elbows to lower your upper body towards the floor, perform the downward half of a push-up. Then, press up to straighten your arms and return to suspended plank position (b). Once you've reached the top of the push-up, draw both knees in towards your chest, then extend legs fully back out to return to plank position (c). Repeat.

3. TRX Hamstring Runners

Hamstring runners look like a mountain climber except on your back. As its name implies, this is a great exercise to fire up those hamstrings. But, since your hips are raised throughout the movement, it’s also good for your glutes, lower back and core. To make this harder, move your feet away from the suspension point to add more resistance. To make it easier, bend both legs in towards your body at the same time.

How to: With the TRX straps at mid-calf length, lie on your back, facing your anchor and place your heels into the foot cradles. Rest your arms flat on the floor alongside your body, palms facing down. Pushing through your heels, lift your hips off the floor (a). Contract your right hamstring to draw that knee in towards your body slowly (b). As you return your leg to the starting position, begin to draw your left knee in towards your body for one rep (c). The TRX straps should remain taut throughout the exercise. Repeat.

4. TRX Side Planks

Just like a regular side plank on the floor, this exercise engages your abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. “The challenge is that your feet are in the TRX — they aren’t on the floor to help you stabilize your body,” says Colavecchio. You can perform the side plank on your elbow (easier) or on your hand (harder).

How to: With the TRX straps at mid-calf, place both feet in the TRX loops and come into a suspended plank position, shoulders over hands, body in a straight line from head to toe (a). Slowly, roll onto your left side so that your left elbow is directly under your left shoulder, top leg will be in front of your bottom leg, core is engaged (b). [The heel of the front foot can touch the toe of the bottom foot.] Keeping your bottom hip lifted to help stabilize your body, reach your top arm towards the ceiling (c). Hold the side plank for 15 seconds (easier) or 30 seconds (harder). Switch sides.

5. TRX Oblique Crunches

Crunches on the TRX require you to engage not only your main abdominal muscles but also the small stabilizing muscles in your core. If you want to make this exercise harder, Colavecchio suggests performing the oblique crunch at a slow pace. If you’re still working on mastering the TRX crunch (drawing both knees in towards the chest at the same time), Colavecchio recommends that you perform a regular crunch instead.

How to: Start in a suspended plank position, shoulders directly over your hands, feet in the TRX loops, toes facing down and hands directly underneath your shoulders (a). Bend both knees at the same time and draw them together towards your left elbow. Extend both legs straight again to return to plank position (b). Draw both knees towards your right elbow. Extend both legs straight and return to plank position for one rep (c). Repeat.

6. TRX Double Leg Raises

If you want to target those stubborn lower abdominal muscles, try these double leg drops. To make the exercise harder, bring your heels as close to the ground as possible without actually touching the floor. To challenge yourself even more, Colavecchio suggests performing the move with straight legs instead of bent legs.

How to: Adjust the TRX straps so that they are mid-calf length. Lie down on your back with your chest underneath the anchor point, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Grab the TRX straps, one in each hand and hold them outside of your thighs, hands open, palms facing down on the straps. Keeping your lumbar (lower) spine flat on the ground, push your hands down on the straps, and slowly lift your legs, keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, until your knees are stacked over your hips, shins parallel to the floor (a). Keep your knees still bent 90 degrees and lower both heels towards the floor (b). Tap the floor with your heels for one rep (c). Repeat.

7. TRX Body Saw

While the body saw doesn’t look like a difficult exercise, the subtle movement will make your core burn. “It’s often the smaller movements on the TRX that are more challenging,” says Colavecchio. “The goal is to hold a perfect plank the whole time as you rock forward and backwards. You’ll feel your muscles working more when you slide back because you’re changing the center of gravity and that forces you to engage your core more.”

]]>[caption id="attachment_58425" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Pond5[/caption]
On the surface, the TRX Suspension Trainer looks pretty unassuming. But these two adjustable straps may just be the best piece of equipment to strengthen your abs and core. “When we work our core on the TRX, it’s really challenging” says Shannon Colavecchio, who is an AFAA and ACE-certified personal trainer and certified in TRX Suspension Training and TRX RIP Trainer.
“With your hands or feet in the TRX, you only have two points of contact with the floor to help you stabilize your body, which means you have to recruit your core muscles,” says Colavecchio. Constant instability means those abdominal muscles are always on.
“What I really love about the TRX is that it engages so many muscles beyond just the specific one you’re working,” says Colavecchio. “It’s an efficient tool. You spend less time training, but you get more value from that training time,” she says. The owner of Badass Fitness Studio in Tallahassee, Florida also notes that TRX is accessible to people of all fitness levels. “I can have a class of 20 people ranging from pro football players to older women,” she says. “We can all work at our own level and progress, at our own pace. You can make the TRX work with you by making the exercise easier or harder — it’s all about changing the angle of your body.”
RELATED: Quick Lower Ab Exercises for a Stronger Core

The 7 Best TRX Exercises to Work Your Abs

Tone up that six-pack to help improve core and back strength, as well as posture. Remember, form is key, especially on the TRX. “Just about every move requires that you be in a perfect plank position,” says Colavecchio. “You want a straight line from the neck all the way to the heels. Activate your glues, quads and hamstrings. If you are aware of this muscle engagement on the TRX, you’ll get so much more out of your workout.”
Colavecchio also recommends looking for modifications that will allow you to perform each move correctly and safely. “It takes some of the intensity away, but it allows you to perfect a move properly,” she says.
Activate those abs! Perform each of the seven exercises below in order with control. For those who are new to TRX, complete two rounds of 10 reps of each exercise. For those who are familiar with TRX training, complete two to three rounds of 15-20 reps of each exercise.
RELATED: Hate Crunches? 6 Better Core Exercises for Beginners
[caption id="attachment_38041" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

1. TRX Pikes

TRX pikes help you build a strong core by challenging your balance and stability, along with your abdominal muscles. “You can adjust the intensity of the exercise by how big your pike is,” advises Colavecchio. Plus, this is a great exercise to build strength for more advanced exercises such as handstands.
How to: Adjust the TRX straps to mid-calf length. Begin in a suspended plank position with your feet in the TRX loops, toes facing down and wrists directly underneath your shoulders. Your body should be in a straight line from head to toe (a). Pressing down through your palms, lift your hips up towards the ceiling by drawing your legs towards your chest until you look like an upside-down V, or as high as you can go (b). Slowly lower your legs and return to the starting position (c). Repeat.
[caption id="attachment_38159" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

2. TRX Atomic Push-Ups

They don’t call these atomic push-ups for nothing. It’s essentially a push-up followed by a crunch. This exercise is not only great for the core, but it works your shoulders, chest and hip flexors, too. For beginners, you can modify this exercise by performing the push-up with your knees on the floor.
How to: Start in a suspended plank position just like in the pike exercise, shoulders over hands, feet in the TRX with toes pointing down (a). Bending your elbows to lower your upper body towards the floor, perform the downward half of a push-up. Then, press up to straighten your arms and return to suspended plank position (b). Once you've reached the top of the push-up, draw both knees in towards your chest, then extend legs fully back out to return to plank position (c). Repeat.
RELATED: The 20-Minute TRX Workout [INFOGRAPHIC]
[caption id="attachment_38044" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

3. TRX Hamstring Runners

Hamstring runners look like a mountain climber except on your back. As its name implies, this is a great exercise to fire up those hamstrings. But, since your hips are raised throughout the movement, it’s also good for your glutes, lower back and core. To make this harder, move your feet away from the suspension point to add more resistance. To make it easier, bend both legs in towards your body at the same time.
How to: With the TRX straps at mid-calf length, lie on your back, facing your anchor and place your heels into the foot cradles. Rest your arms flat on the floor alongside your body, palms facing down. Pushing through your heels, lift your hips off the floor (a). Contract your right hamstring to draw that knee in towards your body slowly (b). As you return your leg to the starting position, begin to draw your left knee in towards your body for one rep (c). The TRX straps should remain taut throughout the exercise. Repeat.
[caption id="attachment_38045" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

4. TRX Side Planks

Just like a regular side plank on the floor, this exercise engages your abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. “The challenge is that your feet are in the TRX — they aren’t on the floor to help you stabilize your body,” says Colavecchio. You can perform the side plank on your elbow (easier) or on your hand (harder).
How to: With the TRX straps at mid-calf, place both feet in the TRX loops and come into a suspended plank position, shoulders over hands, body in a straight line from head to toe (a). Slowly, roll onto your left side so that your left elbow is directly under your left shoulder, top leg will be in front of your bottom leg, core is engaged (b). [The heel of the front foot can touch the toe of the bottom foot.] Keeping your bottom hip lifted to help stabilize your body, reach your top arm towards the ceiling (c). Hold the side plank for 15 seconds (easier) or 30 seconds (harder). Switch sides.
RELATED: 6 Common TRX Exercise Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
[caption id="attachment_38046" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

5. TRX Oblique Crunches

Crunches on the TRX require you to engage not only your main abdominal muscles but also the small stabilizing muscles in your core. If you want to make this exercise harder, Colavecchio suggests performing the oblique crunch at a slow pace. If you’re still working on mastering the TRX crunch (drawing both knees in towards the chest at the same time), Colavecchio recommends that you perform a regular crunch instead.
How to: Start in a suspended plank position, shoulders directly over your hands, feet in the TRX loops, toes facing down and hands directly underneath your shoulders (a). Bend both knees at the same time and draw them together towards your left elbow. Extend both legs straight again to return to plank position (b). Draw both knees towards your right elbow. Extend both legs straight and return to plank position for one rep (c). Repeat.
[caption id="attachment_38047" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy of TRX[/caption]

6. TRX Double Leg Raises

If you want to target those stubborn lower abdominal muscles, try these double leg drops. To make the exercise harder, bring your heels as close to the ground as possible without actually touching the floor. To challenge yourself even more, Colavecchio suggests performing the move with straight legs instead of bent legs.
How to: Adjust the TRX straps so that they are mid-calf length. Lie down on your back with your chest underneath the anchor point, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Grab the TRX straps, one in each hand and hold them outside of your thighs, hands open, palms facing down on the straps. Keeping your lumbar (lower) spine flat on the ground, push your hands down on the straps, and slowly lift your legs, keeping your knees bent at 90 degrees, until your knees are stacked over your hips, shins parallel to the floor (a). Keep your knees still bent 90 degrees and lower both heels towards the floor (b). Tap the floor with your heels for one rep (c). Repeat.
RELATED: 15-Minute Leg Workout to Tone Up Fast
[caption id="attachment_38048" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo: Courtesy ofTRX[/caption]

7. TRX Body Saw

While the body saw doesn’t look like a difficult exercise, the subtle movement will make your core burn. “It’s often the smaller movements on the TRX that are more challenging,” says Colavecchio. “The goal is to hold a perfect plank the whole time as you rock forward and backwards. You’ll feel your muscles working more when you slide back because you’re changing the center of gravity and that forces you to engage your core more.”
How to: Begin in a suspended forearm plank position, elbows directly underneath your shoulders, hands flat, firmly pressing into the ground, feet in the TRX loops, toes facing down. Engaging your core, rock forward about 2 to 3 inches so that your shoulders are slightly in front of your elbows (a). Then, slide backwards so that your shoulders are about 2 to 3 inches behind your elbows for one rep (b). Repeat.
Originally posted March 11, 2015. Updated May 2017.

In fact, roughly 80 percent of adults will experience back aches at some point in their lives and roughly one-third of adults have complained of lower back pain in the past three months. Considering back pain is also the leading cause of disability, it’s no wonder we’re constantly searching for relief for our spine.

Go With the Flow to Help Ease Lower Back Pain

One remedy that might soothe a cranky back? Yoga. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a 12-week yoga program led to greater improvements in function in adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain, compared to usual care. Another study found that yoga helped reduce pain and anxiety associated with low back pain.

“Yoga can help address some of the structural and muscular imbalances that may lead to low back pain,” says Amy Quinn Suplina, yoga teacher and owner of Bend & Bloom Yoga in Brooklyn, NY. Yoga can help you lengthen short and tight muscles and build strength to help stabilize your pelvis and spine. Not to mention perfecting your flow can also improve your posture.

Keep in mind not all forms of yoga are appropriate for those with low back pain, warns Quinn Suplina. Many yoga classes tend to focus on forward folds, which may exacerbate discomfort.

Her advice? Skip the open vinyasa class, especially if you have acute pain, or opt for a few one-on-one sessions with a teacher who has a strong therapeutic background. Or, (with your doc’s OK) try these eight yoga poses, recommended by Quinn Suplina, at home.

8 Yoga Stretches to Soothe Lower Back Pain

1. Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)

How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the ground. Hold a strap with both hands and place it around the ball of your right foot. Extend your right leg into the air directly over your hip. Press your foot into the strap and keep your left foot firm on the ground. Hold for six to eight full breaths. Gently release and switch sides. If you don’t have a strap, you can use a belt or long scarf.

Instructor insight: When the back of your legs are tight, it can lead to lower back pain, says Quinn Suplina. “Tight hamstrings can pull your pelvis into a posterior tilt and flatten your lumbar curve,” she says. “Then you don’t have the architecture in your spine to distribute weight evenly through the body.” Maintain a neutral pelvis and lumbar curve in this pose. In other words, don’t flatten your lower back against the floor.

2. Gentle Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

How to: From reclining hand-to-big-toe pose, bring your knees into your chest. Extend your left leg out on the ground and draw your right knee across your body, letting your knee rest on top of a block (or book). Bring your arms out to the sides in a T. Allow gravity to draw your right shoulder towards the ground. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: Supine spinal twists help increase mobility in the spine, especially between the vertebrae, says Quinn Suplina. This is a gentler twist, compared to the version with both knees stacked, making it good for those with lower back pain.

3. Hip Flexor Stretch

How to: Lie on your back and lift your hips up. Slip a block under your sacrum (the flat, bony part of your lower back) on its lowest or medium height. Draw your right knee in towards your chest and extend your left leg, placing your heel on the mat. Flex your left foot, toes pointing up towards the ceiling. Let the lower back rest into the block and draw your tailbone down towards the block. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: Our love for running, biking and exercising may be good for our health, but it can cause our psoas (aka hip flexors) to shorten. Sitting for longer periods of time doesn’t help either. “Shortened hip flexors can pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt, which can compress the lumbar vertebrae,” says Quinn Suplina. If your hips need some extra love, this pose will do the trick.

4. Cat and Cow Pose

How to: Begin in a tabletop position. Engage your core by pulling your belly button up towards your spine. Starting at your tailbone, slowly move into cat pose by letting your tailbone roll underneath you and rounding your upper back toward the ceiling. Move sequentially from lower to mid to upper spine. Lastly, let your gaze and head release toward the ground. Then, starting with your tailbone again, gently roll your tailbone up and slowly move into cow pose. Allow your belly to sink and chest to open toward the front of the room. Your head and gaze are the last to lift towards the ceiling. Move through a few rounds of this version of cat-cow. Then, begin the movement from your skull, letting the movement ripple through your upper spine to your tailbone.

Instructor insight: “When you have acute pain in your lower back, your spine wants to move in a big block instead of segment by segment,” says Quinn Suplina. “This version of cat-cow assists with creating mobility in each segment of the spine.”

5. Bird-Dog

How to: Begin in a tabletop position and find a neutral pelvis. Extend your right arm forward. Straighten and lift your left leg behind you to hip height. Engage the abdominal muscles, pulling your belly button up toward your spine. Reach out from your right hand all the way back through the left heel. Hold for three to five full breaths. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: According to Quinn Suplina, this pose is a great way to build spinal stability. “It helps to bring tone and support to the deeper layers of the spinal muscles,” she says. “You’re building responsive abdominal muscles, not just a six-pack.”

6. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to: From a tabletop position, bring with your knees wide and your big toes to touch. Press your hips back towards your heels and bring your belly to your thighs. Stretch your arms long in front of you on the mat. Let your forehead rest on the mat.

Instructor insight: Actively press your palms into the mat and reach away from you to help sink your hips down further. This will help stretch your back, providing gentle traction for your spine.

7. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to: From child’s pose, extend long and lower to the ground so you’re lying on your belly. Bring your hands by your lower ribs. Press your palms and tops of the feet into the mat as you hug your elbows in towards your back. You should feel your shoulder blades come towards each other on your back. Gently lift your chest forward and slightly up. If you feel stable here, lift your hands off the ground.

Instructor insight: Quinn Suplina says this baby cobra pose is great for strengthening the lower back, especially the muscles used for respiration that integrate into the lumbar spine. Extending the spine in this pose also lengthens the ab muscles. If you feel acute back pain while doing this, skip it!

8. Side Bending Mountain Pose

How to: Stand with your feet together. Interlace your fingers and flip the palms to face forward. Lift your arms up and press your palms toward the ceiling. Gently side bend to the right while you stay rooted in your left foot and hip. Hold for six to eight breaths. Then switch sides.

Instructor insight: One cause of lower back pain could be your quadratus lumborum muscle aka your QL, says Quinn Suplina. It’s a deep abdominal muscle that’s located on either side of your spine. One side can be tighter or shorter than the other and this pose helps to stretch it out.

]]>[caption id="attachment_57934" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]
Herniated disks, pinched nerves, strained muscles, poor posture — lower back pain can stem from many places.
In fact, roughly 80 percent of adults will experience back aches at some point in their lives and roughly one-third of adults have complained of lower back pain in the past three months. Considering back pain is also the leading cause of disability, it’s no wonder we’re constantly searching for relief for our spine.
RELATED: 5 Exercise Modifications to Ease Lower Back Pain

Go With the Flow to Help Ease Lower Back Pain

One remedy that might soothe a cranky back? Yoga. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that a 12-week yoga program led to greater improvements in function in adults with chronic or recurrent low back pain, compared to usual care. Another study found that yoga helped reduce pain and anxiety associated with low back pain.
“Yoga can help address some of the structural and muscular imbalances that may lead to low back pain,” says Amy Quinn Suplina, yoga teacher and owner of Bend & Bloom Yoga in Brooklyn, NY. Yoga can help you lengthen short and tight muscles and build strength to help stabilize your pelvis and spine. Not to mention perfecting your flow can also improve your posture.
Keep in mind not all forms of yoga are appropriate for those with low back pain, warns Quinn Suplina. Many yoga classes tend to focus on forward folds, which may exacerbate discomfort.
Her advice? Skip the open vinyasa class, especially if you have acute pain, or opt for a few one-on-one sessions with a teacher who has a strong therapeutic background. Or, (with your doc’s OK) try these eight yoga poses, recommended by Quinn Suplina, at home.
RELATED: Are You Doing These Yoga Poses All Wrong?

8 Yoga Stretches to Soothe Lower Back Pain

1. Reclining Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose (Supta Padangusthasana)

How to: Lie on your back with your knees bent and soles of the feet on the ground. Hold a strap with both hands and place it around the ball of your right foot. Extend your right leg into the air directly over your hip. Press your foot into the strap and keep your left foot firm on the ground. Hold for six to eight full breaths. Gently release and switch sides. If you don’t have a strap, you can use a belt or long scarf.
Instructor insight: When the back of your legs are tight, it can lead to lower back pain, says Quinn Suplina. “Tight hamstrings can pull your pelvis into a posterior tilt and flatten your lumbar curve,” she says. “Then you don’t have the architecture in your spine to distribute weight evenly through the body.” Maintain a neutral pelvis and lumbar curve in this pose. In other words, don’t flatten your lower back against the floor.
[caption id="attachment_57926" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

2. Gentle Spinal Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

How to: From reclining hand-to-big-toe pose, bring your knees into your chest. Extend your left leg out on the ground and draw your right knee across your body, letting your knee rest on top of a block (or book). Bring your arms out to the sides in a T. Allow gravity to draw your right shoulder towards the ground. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.
Instructor insight: Supine spinal twists help increase mobility in the spine, especially between the vertebrae, says Quinn Suplina. This is a gentler twist, compared to the version with both knees stacked, making it good for those with lower back pain.
RELATED: 5 Lower Back Stretches to Relieve Stress Now
[caption id="attachment_57927" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

3. Hip Flexor Stretch

How to: Lie on your back and lift your hips up. Slip a block under your sacrum (the flat, bony part of your lower back) on its lowest or medium height. Draw your right knee in towards your chest and extend your left leg, placing your heel on the mat. Flex your left foot, toes pointing up towards the ceiling. Let the lower back rest into the block and draw your tailbone down towards the block. Hold for six to eight full breathes. Then switch sides.
Instructor insight: Our love for running, biking and exercising may be good for our health, but it can cause our psoas (aka hip flexors) to shorten. Sitting for longer periods of time doesn’t help either. “Shortened hip flexors can pull the pelvis into an anterior tilt, which can compress the lumbar vertebrae,” says Quinn Suplina. If your hips need some extra love, this pose will do the trick.
[caption id="attachment_57928" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

4. Cat and Cow Pose

How to: Begin in a tabletop position. Engage your core by pulling your belly button up towards your spine. Starting at your tailbone, slowly move into cat pose by letting your tailbone roll underneath you and rounding your upper back toward the ceiling. Move sequentially from lower to mid to upper spine. Lastly, let your gaze and head release toward the ground. Then, starting with your tailbone again, gently roll your tailbone up and slowly move into cow pose. Allow your belly to sink and chest to open toward the front of the room. Your head and gaze are the last to lift towards the ceiling. Move through a few rounds of this version of cat-cow. Then, begin the movement from your skull, letting the movement ripple through your upper spine to your tailbone.
Instructor insight: “When you have acute pain in your lower back, your spine wants to move in a big block instead of segment by segment,” says Quinn Suplina. “This version of cat-cow assists with creating mobility in each segment of the spine.”
RELATED: 35 Resources to Step Up Your Yoga Game
[caption id="attachment_57929" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

5. Bird-Dog

How to: Begin in a tabletop position and find a neutral pelvis. Extend your right arm forward. Straighten and lift your left leg behind you to hip height. Engage the abdominal muscles, pulling your belly button up toward your spine. Reach out from your right hand all the way back through the left heel. Hold for three to five full breaths. Then switch sides.
Instructor insight: According to Quinn Suplina, this pose is a great way to build spinal stability. “It helps to bring tone and support to the deeper layers of the spinal muscles,” she says. “You’re building responsive abdominal muscles, not just a six-pack.”
[caption id="attachment_57930" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

6. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

How to: From a tabletop position, bring with your knees wide and your big toes to touch. Press your hips back towards your heels and bring your belly to your thighs. Stretch your arms long in front of you on the mat. Let your forehead rest on the mat.
Instructor insight: Actively press your palms into the mat and reach away from you to help sink your hips down further. This will help stretch your back, providing gentle traction for your spine.
RELATED: 15 Stretches You Should Do Every Damn Day
[caption id="attachment_57931" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

7. Cobra (Bhujangasana)

How to: From child’s pose, extend long and lower to the ground so you’re lying on your belly. Bring your hands by your lower ribs. Press your palms and tops of the feet into the mat as you hug your elbows in towards your back. You should feel your shoulder blades come towards each other on your back. Gently lift your chest forward and slightly up. If you feel stable here, lift your hands off the ground.
Instructor insight: Quinn Suplina says this baby cobra pose is great for strengthening the lower back, especially the muscles used for respiration that integrate into the lumbar spine. Extending the spine in this pose also lengthens the ab muscles. If you feel acute back pain while doing this, skip it!
[caption id="attachment_57932" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of Emily Adams / Bend & Bloom Yoga[/caption]

8. Side Bending Mountain Pose

How to: Stand with your feet together. Interlace your fingers and flip the palms to face forward. Lift your arms up and press your palms toward the ceiling. Gently side bend to the right while you stay rooted in your left foot and hip. Hold for six to eight breaths. Then switch sides.
Instructor insight: One cause of lower back pain could be your quadratus lumborum muscle aka your QL, says Quinn Suplina. It’s a deep abdominal muscle that’s located on either side of your spine. One side can be tighter or shorter than the other and this pose helps to stretch it out.

For two days, my head throbbed and my nose wouldn’t stop running. Plus, there was a nagging, tingly sensation behind my ears and soreness forming in the back of my throat. I couldn’t deny it any longer...I was getting sick.

The timing couldn't have been worse. I was leaving for vacation in a few days and with the mad rush to clear my to-do list before a week away, I definitely didn’t have time to see a doctor. Of course, I’m not alone. A 2015 study from Zocdoc found that roughly one-third of people say it’s difficult to schedule a last-minute appointment with a doctor when they’re feeling sick. And 43 percent said it was easier to diagnose and treat themselves (hi, Google).

While I could search my symptoms on the good old Internet, I wished for an easier and faster way to determine whether I have a bad case of allergies or something more serious.

Dr. A.I. Will See You Now

“The ability to help patients figure out where to go first is going to be increasingly important in our healthcare system."

Enter Dr. A.I., a personalized, artificial intelligence-powered “doctor.” This version of virtual care comes from HealthTap — an interactive health practice that provides access to a network of more than 107,000 doctors through video, text or voice. Recently HealthTap partnered with Amazon to bring a voice-activated version of Dr. A.I. into your home through Alexa, the personal assistant feature on the Amazon Echo device.

Instead of completing an online symptom check, Dr. A.I. asks questions about your condition, will provide a possible diagnose and point you to various treatment options. It may recommend that you schedule an appointment or phone consult with a doctor (and it will help you do that) or it may direct you to seek more urgent care.

“The ability to help patients figure out where to go first is going to be increasingly important in our healthcare system where doctors and patients are both frustrated,” says Lyle Berkowitz, MD, primary care physician and Director of Innovation at Northwestern Medicine.

Dr. A.I. has the potential to empower patients and help them understand their symptoms, especially those who may not have time to see a doctor, may be uninsured or may not be able to operate a computer or smartphone. And for those who can’t see a doctor face-to-face, it could help soothe nerves by offering some idea of the problem.

“But the reality is that it’s not quite there yet,” says Dr. Berkowitz. “Ultimately, it can’t truly diagnose, manage or treat your symptoms.”

Hey Alexa, Can You Cure Me?

When I sat down for my consult, Dr. A.I. reminded me that it’s here to provide information, and that only a real doctor can diagnose me. It asked me to name my symptoms — nasal congestion, fatigue and headache — the severity of the symptoms and, for the headaches, how long I’ve experienced them.

Since the service is new, HealthTap is still working through some kinks, particularly its voice recognition system. For example, Dr. A.I. asked me how long I experienced headaches and gave me three options to choose from. But when I stated my choice back to Dr. A.I., it didn’t understand me. I repeated my answer multiple times, speaking slowly and clearly and even choosing different answers. The system kept looping through the same question and offered no way to exit or return to a previous question. Another time, when I said, “stuffy nose,” Dr. A.I. thought I said “difficulty learning new things.” There’s no option to correct Dr. A.I.

In all, it took me five attempts before I finally receiving a potential diagnosis.

Based on the information, it provides a list of five possible conditions, ranked from most likely to possible. My options ranged from an upper respiratory infection to the flu to the common cold. Not the clearest prognosis after all.

The biggest problem — and a main component of good medical care — is that it Dr. A.I. doesn’t know your medical history. “The combination of contextually who you are, what your issues are and your medical history — say, do you have a history of heart disease? Diabetes? Sinus infections? — that all plays into the history doctors take, in addition to physically looking at you,” says Dr. Berkowitz. “The only thing this system knows is your sex and age, unless it’s getting information from somewhere else. It gives you a very generic diagnosis.”

General information appeared to be its strong suit. When I requested info on upper respiratory infections, it described the common symptoms of the viral infection and that it’s typically self-treated. Keep in mind, Alexa doesn’t provide advice for managing your illness at home (and rightfully so), which left me feeling no better informed than when I started. However, she did offer to connect me to a doctor in HealthTap’s network. (Depending on your insurance and other forms of payment, this might cost around $44.)

Dr. A.I., Not for Emergencies

Dr. Berkowitz points out another limitation to the current system: The artificial intelligence powering Dr. A.I. is based on data gathered from the current consumers using HealthTap’s application. When Dr. Berkowitz tested the service, he described symptoms of exertional chest pain, which could be caused by blockage in the blood vessels around the heart. Dr. A.I. simply diagnosed him with a cold or reflux.

“That’s worrisome,” he says. “But it makes sense that it couldn’t diagnose it. No one is going to HealthTap for coronary heart disease. They’re using it for minor issues like heartburn and sinus pain.” In other words, the service is much better suited for acute and minor issues, like my cold.

“Use your common sense and exercise caution,” recommends Dr. Berkowitz, especially since the system is still fairly new and they’re likely working out the bugs. The potential of artificial intelligence is there, he says, but it needs to continue to improve and become refined. “We need companies like HealthTap to keep pushing the envelope,” he says.

So, should you turn to Alexa and Dr. A.I. every time you’re feeling sick? Probably not. And you definitely shouldn’t skip your doctor’s appointment when you can get there. But Dr. A.I. offers a good starting place for care.

]]>[caption id="attachment_57770" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo courtesy of HealthTap[/caption]
For two days, my head throbbed and my nose wouldn’t stop running. Plus, there was a nagging, tingly sensation behind my ears and soreness forming in the back of my throat. I couldn’t deny it any longer...I was getting sick.
The timing couldn't have been worse. I was leaving for vacation in a few days and with the mad rush to clear my to-do list before a week away, I definitely didn’t have time to see a doctor. Of course, I’m not alone. A 2015 study from Zocdoc found that roughly one-third of people say it’s difficult to schedule a last-minute appointment with a doctor when they’re feeling sick. And 43 percent said it was easier to diagnose and treat themselves (hi, Google).
While I could search my symptoms on the good old Internet, I wished for an easier and faster way to determine whether I have a bad case of allergies or something more serious.
Well, Amazon made that wish come true.
RELATED: 7 Immunity-Boosting Foods to Fight Colds and Flu

Dr. A.I. Will See You Now

“The ability to help patients figure out where to go first is going to be increasingly important in our healthcare system."

Enter Dr. A.I., a personalized, artificial intelligence-powered “doctor.” This version of virtual care comes from HealthTap — an interactive health practice that provides access to a network of more than 107,000 doctors through video, text or voice. Recently HealthTap partnered with Amazon to bring a voice-activated version of Dr. A.I. into your home through Alexa, the personal assistant feature on the Amazon Echo device.
Instead of completing an online symptom check, Dr. A.I. asks questions about your condition, will provide a possible diagnose and point you to various treatment options. It may recommend that you schedule an appointment or phone consult with a doctor (and it will help you do that) or it may direct you to seek more urgent care.
“The ability to help patients figure out where to go first is going to be increasingly important in our healthcare system where doctors and patients are both frustrated,” says Lyle Berkowitz, MD, primary care physician and Director of Innovation at Northwestern Medicine.
Dr. A.I. has the potential to empower patients and help them understand their symptoms, especially those who may not have time to see a doctor, may be uninsured or may not be able to operate a computer or smartphone. And for those who can’t see a doctor face-to-face, it could help soothe nerves by offering some idea of the problem.
“But the reality is that it’s not quite there yet,” says Dr. Berkowitz. “Ultimately, it can’t truly diagnose, manage or treat your symptoms.”
RELATED: Are You Crazy for Working Out While Sick?

Hey Alexa, Can You Cure Me?

When I sat down for my consult, Dr. A.I. reminded me that it’s here to provide information, and that only a real doctor can diagnose me. It asked me to name my symptoms — nasal congestion, fatigue and headache — the severity of the symptoms and, for the headaches, how long I’ve experienced them.
Since the service is new, HealthTap is still working through some kinks, particularly its voice recognition system. For example, Dr. A.I. asked me how long I experienced headaches and gave me three options to choose from. But when I stated my choice back to Dr. A.I., it didn’t understand me. I repeated my answer multiple times, speaking slowly and clearly and even choosing different answers. The system kept looping through the same question and offered no way to exit or return to a previous question. Another time, when I said, “stuffy nose,” Dr. A.I. thought I said “difficulty learning new things.” There’s no option to correct Dr. A.I.
In all, it took me five attempts before I finally receiving a potential diagnosis.
Based on the information, it provides a list of five possible conditions, ranked from most likely to possible. My options ranged from an upper respiratory infection to the flu to the common cold. Not the clearest prognosis after all.
RELATED: What to Eat When You’re Fighting a Cold

“We need companies like HealthTap to keep pushing the envelope."

The biggest problem — and a main component of good medical care — is that it Dr. A.I. doesn’t know your medical history. “The combination of contextually who you are, what your issues are and your medical history — say, do you have a history of heart disease? Diabetes? Sinus infections? — that all plays into the history doctors take, in addition to physically looking at you,” says Dr. Berkowitz. “The only thing this system knows is your sex and age, unless it’s getting information from somewhere else. It gives you a very generic diagnosis.”
General information appeared to be its strong suit. When I requested info on upper respiratory infections, it described the common symptoms of the viral infection and that it’s typically self-treated. Keep in mind, Alexa doesn’t provide advice for managing your illness at home (and rightfully so), which left me feeling no better informed than when I started. However, she did offer to connect me to a doctor in HealthTap’s network. (Depending on your insurance and other forms of payment, this might cost around $44.)
RELATED: All-Natural Remedies to Soothe Your Cold Symptoms

Dr. A.I., Not for Emergencies

Dr. Berkowitz points out another limitation to the current system: The artificial intelligence powering Dr. A.I. is based on data gathered from the current consumers using HealthTap’s application. When Dr. Berkowitz tested the service, he described symptoms of exertional chest pain, which could be caused by blockage in the blood vessels around the heart. Dr. A.I. simply diagnosed him with a cold or reflux.
“That’s worrisome,” he says. “But it makes sense that it couldn’t diagnose it. No one is going to HealthTap for coronary heart disease. They’re using it for minor issues like heartburn and sinus pain.” In other words, the service is much better suited for acute and minor issues, like my cold.
“Use your common sense and exercise caution,” recommends Dr. Berkowitz, especially since the system is still fairly new and they’re likely working out the bugs. The potential of artificial intelligence is there, he says, but it needs to continue to improve and become refined. “We need companies like HealthTap to keep pushing the envelope,” he says.
So, should you turn to Alexa and Dr. A.I. every time you’re feeling sick? Probably not. And you definitely shouldn’t skip your doctor’s appointment when you can get there. But Dr. A.I. offers a good starting place for care.

Lurking around the corner, most people will find a ticking stress bomb. In fact, Americans rate their stress level at 5.1 on a 10-point scale, higher than the 3.7 considered to be healthy, and the first significant increase in 10 years, according to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey. So, you book a massage, spend money on vacations and download 10 meditations apps to help eliminate stress from your life. But when you can’t find your zen? It can leave you tense about being so tense.

“When we’re stressed, we tend to shine a spotlight on the stressor itself, or on our reaction to that stressor, which only tends to magnify the response,” says Dr. Justin Ross, PsyD, a Denver-based psychologist.

This holds true even for doctors in the mental health field. “The funny thing about stress is that it makes me want to do the exact opposite of what I know will make me feel better,” says Dr. Samantha Boardman, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Positive Prescription. That might mean devouring a pint of ice cream or binge watching Big Little Lies. “These indulgences masquerade as stress busters but, as we all know, are ultimately stress amplifiers.”

To help you put a halt to the vicious stress cycle, we asked six mental health experts for their tried and true techniques for finding relaxation when they’re overwhelmed. Steal their 11 strategies to feel more calm, almost instantly.

11 Ways to De-Stress, According to Mental Health Experts

1. Get busy...in bed.

Need an excuse to twist the sheets? Sex can relieve stress, says Nicole Amesbury, psychotherapist and Head of Clinical Development for Talkspace. “The newer research shows that sex promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampal region of the brain,” she explains. “These new nerve cells are beneficial to the nervous system and help in stress reduction, plus they support our learning and memory.”

2. Find real-life, squeezable stress balls.

No, not those squishy tools that fit in the palm of your hand. We’re talking about your pets. “My dogs, Panda and Schnitzel, are the ultimate stress balls. They are instant mood boosters,” says Dr. Boardman. And Dr. Marc Romano, PsyD, Director of Medical Services and Compliance at Delphi Behavioral Health, also relies on his dog to decompress, particularly walking with her. “For some walks, I have a set route I will take, but for others I let my dog, Lola, take the lead,” he says. “I don’t pull her in any direction, she gets to pull me.”

3. Concentrate on something small.

Dr. Ross’ trick to winding down? He thinks about his little toe. “You probably haven't spent much time in your life focusing on this part of your body, and that's partly why it helps in moments when you're stressed,” he says. “Simply shift your focus to the sensations you find in your small toe.” Then take slow, deep breaths. You’ll be surprised at how you feel afterward.

4. Spend time in nature.

When you feel your blood pressure and pulse rising, get up and go outside for a mental re-boot. “Spending time outdoors is a great respite for an overactive mind,” says Dr. Boardman. According to Kate Hanley, author of the new book, Stress Less and founder of MsMindbody.com, gazing off into the distance can literally change your perspective. “Otherwise, you spend most of your time constantly looking about a foot and a half in front of you, most likely at your computer, which fatigues the eyes and makes your world seem metaphorically smaller than it is,” she says. “Extra points for kicking off your shoes, as having your bare feet on the Earth is especially energizing and grounding.”

5. Rock out.

Music can be a powerful way to chill out. Dr. Romano creates workout playlists and focuses on the lyrics. “It becomes a game where I try to figure out the words, which have eluded me for many years,” he says. Hanley prefers singing, an activity research has shown decreases levels of cortisone, the stress hormone. “I work from home so the only person I bother by doing it is my dog,” she says. If you can’t spontaneously burst into song at the office, try singing on your commute home. “It will help you shed the stress of the day so you can be more present in your off-hours,” she says. Or, have a little karaoke session when you get home. The family can always join in on the fun.

6. Discover a new hobby.

When Amesbury feels overwhelmed, she pulls out her camera. “Several years ago a friend and I started making short films as a fun hobby to be creative and express ourselves. It's the type of hobby where you can get into a flow and your mind can rest from all other thoughts or worries,” she says. “Choose whatever activity you find pleasurable that allows you to be playful and unwind.” It’ll help you focus on the positive activity, instead of other business that’s bothering you.

7. Consider someone else.

Sometimes you need some external inspiration to help you navigate your way through a stress storm. “Whenever I have to give a speech, I think to myself, ‘What would Barbara Walters do right now?’” says Dr. Boardman. Next time you find yourself in a stress-inducing situation, try thinking of someone you admire and imagine what they’d do in a similar situation. “Tapping into someone else’s strength gives me the strength to make better choices and be the best version of myself,” Dr. Boardman says.

8. Breathe deep.

“Breathing exercises are a quick and portable way to relax in the moment — whether you’re commuting home or on a lunch break,” says Marlynn Wei, MD, psychiatrist, certified yoga and mindfulness teacher, and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga. She pairs breath work with a walking meditation. “I inhale gently through the nose for five steps, hold for five steps, and exhale through the nose for five steps,” she says. Keep your breath steady and un-rushed, like you’re sipping hot chocolate. You can also skip the breath-holding or, if you want a more calming practice, increase the exhalation count. “As long as you watch where you're going, a walking breath meditation is a nice, relaxing alternative to checking your phone when you're walking in the city,” she says.

9. Let it go.

Sometimes it helps to break down your stressor into smaller pieces. “I try to let go of the things that are out of my hands,” says Dr. Boardman. “When I focus on what I can control I am better equipped to make choices that uphold my values and goals.” For instance, her book deadline in April? Out of her control. What’s in her control? Dedicating three hours each day to writing.

10. Say thank you.

You know that gratitude can help you be happier, but it can also help you de-stress, according to Dr. Ross. “Mentally connect to three things that you are grateful for in your life. They can be big things, such as family or owning a home. If you can connect to something you are grateful for related to the stressor, even better,” he says. “For example, being grateful for the opportunity you have at work despite the mounting pressure of the current project or deadline.” This helps you reframe the situation.

11. Switch up your stance.

A simple way to get out of your own head? Change positions. When Hanley is stressed about work but can’t take a break or go outside, she’ll switch up her stance. “Being static is actually stressful to the body,” she says. “I’ll stand up for a phone call and roll my foot on a tennis ball or do a quad stretch or reach my arms above my head. All these things increase the flow of oxygen, which promotes clear thinking and helps ward off that creaky, stressed feeling.” BRB, taking a stretch break.

]]>[caption id="attachment_57422" align="alignnone" width="620"] Photo by Drew Coffman[/caption]
Lurking around the corner, most people will find a ticking stress bomb. In fact, Americans rate their stress level at 5.1 on a 10-point scale, higher than the 3.7 considered to be healthy, and the first significant increase in 10 years, according to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America survey. So, you book a massage, spend money on vacations and download 10 meditations apps to help eliminate stress from your life. But when you can’t find your zen? It can leave you tense about being so tense.
“When we’re stressed, we tend to shine a spotlight on the stressor itself, or on our reaction to that stressor, which only tends to magnify the response,” says Dr. Justin Ross, PsyD, a Denver-based psychologist.
RELATED: 5 Blissful Meditation Studios to Stop and Feel the Zen
This holds true even for doctors in the mental health field. “The funny thing about stress is that it makes me want to do the exact opposite of what I know will make me feel better,” says Dr. Samantha Boardman, MD, a psychiatrist and founder of Positive Prescription. That might mean devouring a pint of ice cream or binge watching Big Little Lies. “These indulgences masquerade as stress busters but, as we all know, are ultimately stress amplifiers.”
To help you put a halt to the vicious stress cycle, we asked six mental health experts for their tried and true techniques for finding relaxation when they’re overwhelmed. Steal their 11 strategies to feel more calm, almost instantly.
RELATED: Hygge, Fika and How Getting Cozy Can Make You Happier

11 Ways to De-Stress, According to Mental Health Experts

1. Get busy...in bed.

Need an excuse to twist the sheets? Sex can relieve stress, says Nicole Amesbury, psychotherapist and Head of Clinical Development for Talkspace. “The newer research shows that sex promotes neurogenesis in the hippocampal region of the brain,” she explains. “These new nerve cells are beneficial to the nervous system and help in stress reduction, plus they support our learning and memory.”

2. Find real-life, squeezable stress balls.

No, not those squishy tools that fit in the palm of your hand. We’re talking about your pets. “My dogs, Panda and Schnitzel, are the ultimate stress balls. They are instant mood boosters,” says Dr. Boardman. And Dr. Marc Romano, PsyD, Director of Medical Services and Compliance at Delphi Behavioral Health, also relies on his dog to decompress, particularly walking with her. “For some walks, I have a set route I will take, but for others I let my dog, Lola, take the lead,” he says. “I don’t pull her in any direction, she gets to pull me.”

3. Concentrate on something small.

Dr. Ross’ trick to winding down? He thinks about his little toe. “You probably haven't spent much time in your life focusing on this part of your body, and that's partly why it helps in moments when you're stressed,” he says. “Simply shift your focus to the sensations you find in your small toe.” Then take slow, deep breaths. You’ll be surprised at how you feel afterward.
RELATED: Single-Tasking: The Secret to Less Stress, More Productivity

4. Spend time in nature.

When you feel your blood pressure and pulse rising, get up and go outside for a mental re-boot. “Spending time outdoors is a great respite for an overactive mind,” says Dr. Boardman. According to Kate Hanley, author of the new book, Stress Less and founder of MsMindbody.com, gazing off into the distance can literally change your perspective. “Otherwise, you spend most of your time constantly looking about a foot and a half in front of you, most likely at your computer, which fatigues the eyes and makes your world seem metaphorically smaller than it is,” she says. “Extra points for kicking off your shoes, as having your bare feet on the Earth is especially energizing and grounding.”

5. Rock out.

Music can be a powerful way to chill out. Dr. Romano creates workout playlists and focuses on the lyrics. “It becomes a game where I try to figure out the words, which have eluded me for many years,” he says. Hanley prefers singing, an activity research has shown decreases levels of cortisone, the stress hormone. “I work from home so the only person I bother by doing it is my dog,” she says. If you can’t spontaneously burst into song at the office, try singing on your commute home. “It will help you shed the stress of the day so you can be more present in your off-hours,” she says. Or, have a little karaoke session when you get home. The family can always join in on the fun.

6. Discover a new hobby.

When Amesbury feels overwhelmed, she pulls out her camera. “Several years ago a friend and I started making short films as a fun hobby to be creative and express ourselves. It's the type of hobby where you can get into a flow and your mind can rest from all other thoughts or worries,” she says. “Choose whatever activity you find pleasurable that allows you to be playful and unwind.” It’ll help you focus on the positive activity, instead of other business that’s bothering you.
RELATED: 7 Products to Make Your Home Instantly Zen

7. Consider someone else.

Sometimes you need some external inspiration to help you navigate your way through a stress storm. “Whenever I have to give a speech, I think to myself, ‘What would Barbara Walters do right now?’” says Dr. Boardman. Next time you find yourself in a stress-inducing situation, try thinking of someone you admire and imagine what they’d do in a similar situation. “Tapping into someone else’s strength gives me the strength to make better choices and be the best version of myself,” Dr. Boardman says.

8. Breathe deep.

“Breathing exercises are a quick and portable way to relax in the moment — whether you’re commuting home or on a lunch break,” says Marlynn Wei, MD, psychiatrist, certified yoga and mindfulness teacher, and author of The Harvard Medical School Guide to Yoga. She pairs breath work with a walking meditation. “I inhale gently through the nose for five steps, hold for five steps, and exhale through the nose for five steps,” she says. Keep your breath steady and un-rushed, like you’re sipping hot chocolate. You can also skip the breath-holding or, if you want a more calming practice, increase the exhalation count. “As long as you watch where you're going, a walking breath meditation is a nice, relaxing alternative to checking your phone when you're walking in the city,” she says.

9. Let it go.

Sometimes it helps to break down your stressor into smaller pieces. “I try to let go of the things that are out of my hands,” says Dr. Boardman. “When I focus on what I can control I am better equipped to make choices that uphold my values and goals.” For instance, her book deadline in April? Out of her control. What’s in her control? Dedicating three hours each day to writing.
RELATED: Boost Productivity with This Feng Shui Office Makeover

10. Say thank you.

You know that gratitude can help you be happier, but it can also help you de-stress, according to Dr. Ross. “Mentally connect to three things that you are grateful for in your life. They can be big things, such as family or owning a home. If you can connect to something you are grateful for related to the stressor, even better,” he says. “For example, being grateful for the opportunity you have at work despite the mounting pressure of the current project or deadline.” This helps you reframe the situation.

11. Switch up your stance.

A simple way to get out of your own head? Change positions. When Hanley is stressed about work but can’t take a break or go outside, she’ll switch up her stance. “Being static is actually stressful to the body,” she says. “I’ll stand up for a phone call and roll my foot on a tennis ball or do a quad stretch or reach my arms above my head. All these things increase the flow of oxygen, which promotes clear thinking and helps ward off that creaky, stressed feeling.” BRB, taking a stretch break.